The Neo Ronin
by Mardrena
Summary: The forces of darkness do not limit their attacks to just the Ronin. The forces of good cannot limit the role of protectors to just adults.
1. Where They Cannot

Where They Cannot

By Mardrena

"It's only been a matter of days since the harrowing events which had the city on lockdown and residents huddled in their homes. Yet already the people of Toyama are fast at work getting their lives back on track," the female reporter spoke as she paced along the sidewalk glancing from the camera to the people milling about on the sidewalk behind her.

"While the military released an official statement claiming experimental unmanned-craft malfunctioned, there are a few die-hard skeptics who insist that the ordeal was the result of an extra-terrestrial attack, as you can see here," the reporter nodded over her shoulder at a throng of people holding aloft hastily-scribbled signs reading "They R Out There!" and "We R Not Alone!" Several of them jeered and pointed at the camera, waving their signs.

"Whatever the viewer chooses to believe, one thing's for certain; This city has weathered a lot in the past and bounced back every time thanks to the tireless efforts of public workers. Ooh! Look, there's a member of the city board!" The reporter pointed to a short balding man with white hair and a bulbous nose. "Excuse me! Councilman! Sir! Could we trouble you for a statement regarding the events of this week?" The reporter held the mic out to the man as he turned around. "What are your thoughts concerning the cause of damage done to the city?"

"Cause? Cause? I'll tell you who caused it! It's those confounded Ronin Warriors! Armored arsonists! This always happens whenever they embark on their so-called 'crusade against evil'! I wouldn't be surprised if they're actually _benefiting_ from all this somehow!" Neither he nor the reporter noticed the trio of men walking behind them carrying a large length of pipe.

"Oh hey! Look, we're on tv!" a blue-haired man with a cross-shaped scar over one eye said.

"Hii!" a man with pale skin and green hair waved energetically with one hand.

"Hiii!" a man with long white hair and a patch over one eye waved at the camera as well.

"Hiii," Rowen said with a grin and waved at the TV screen from where he sat on the sofa. "They certainly are keeping those guys busy," he chuckled.

"We're lucky the only damage done was to buildings," Rowen looked over his shoulder and saw Ryo standing behind the sofa. "If the Thunthen hadn't been so distracted by the Dynasty, things could've turned out a lot worse. It's weird being thankful to Talpa for anything…"

"You think the Dynasty will try attacking again?" Rowen asked softly.

"C'mon, Rowen, you know the Dynasty. It takes resources for Mal Daggur to sustain his fleet. All it takes for Talpa to replenish his armies is bad vibes, which seem to be in no short supply," Ryo scowled at the TV screen as the councilman continued ranting into the mic despite the reporter trying to gently tug it away from him. _It was pretty rough; dealing with Mal Daggur and his Thunthen army. We barely pulled through with the help of our allies, the Thangiens, as well as some new allies. Bak Thraplek and his crew of Thunthen defectors helped turn the tide just enough to ultimately send Mal Daggur packing, but Talpa's still here. He's _always_ still here…and just as before, we'll always be the ones fighting him._

_That's how it's always been since the beginning. The burden of battle has always rest on our shoulders, because who else can be asked to fight such a powerful evil? No one else has the strength or courage to fight evil as we do. Well…there _IS_ Mia…and Yulie…Shannon and Roxi I guess…Danae…okay I'm getting off track. The point is,_ WE'RE _the ones with the mystic armor. It's_ OUR _battle. Who could we expect to take on such a burden?_

"True…speaking of…how the heck does Talpa make all his guys? Like, I know he uses evil spirits and all, but where do they actually _come_ from? Does he have a mail-order catalogue he orders in bulk from or what?" The two of them broke out laughing.

"No, wait wait, I got a better one: Okay, where do Nether Spirits come from?" Ryo waved a hand. Rowen shrugged, helplessly trying to stifle giggles. "From Bautan's spooky bu-"

* * *

"Bah, look at the mortals, scurrying and sniffing about like _vermin_ seeking to glean secrets from the fallen armaments of the dragonmen!" Bautan snorted disdainfully at the images being played on the viewing screen of hazmat workers sifting through rubble.

"The dragonmen were careless, but now those secrets belong to the Dynasty, and _WE_ shall make of them our own!" Lord Tchnetun proclaimed.

"Neither they nor their great vessels have been sighted in the Heavens, and the 'Thangiens' seem to have given chase. Now would be the perfect time to strike!" Duratir stated.

"Be not so hasty, brother. Do not forget the Ronin have dragonmen allies as well; their strength and number remain yet unknown to us," Duratin cautioned.

"It matters not how many count themselves allies of the Ronin Warriors," Talpa rumbled from his throne. "Look how quickly the mortal cattle turn their ire to their very 'saviors'. Such animosity _strengthens_ me while it enervates the Ronin. As long as mortals remain so fickle and foul, my armies remain endless. The dragonmen fled quickly, clearly their might is inferior."

"Your armies stand ready, my Emperor. By your command, we will march forth and crush the mortals under heel," Duratir thumped a fist against his chest and bowed.

"Armies would fare poorly against the Ronin and their mystical powers. No, this time, I have something far more effective in mind. Kylyra, come forth," Talpa spoke softly.

The Brothers, Lord Tchnetun, and Bautan turned around upon hearing the clacking of heels as the newcomer entered…_skipping_. A young girl with long black hair draping down to the back of her knees hummed musically as she capered down the red carpet. The Brothers stepped to either side to make way for her and watched as the girl scampered to a stop.

"You summoned me, and as always, I am ready to serve you Emperor Talpa," the girl smiled and bowed reverently. Her hair draped around two scabbards crossing her lower back.

"I am pleased to see you recovered well from the dragonman's attack."

"Indeed. Should the brute again cross my path, I will not be as forgiving," Kylyra stated and stood back up and folded her arms behind her back.

"The dragonmen have fled this Realm, and the 'Thangiens'," Talpa spoke the word with disgust. "Have departed after them. They are the only mortals aside from the Lady Ronin capable of withstanding the overwhelming power of the Dark Side."

"The Ronin are all alone?" Kylyra asked in a pouty tone and narrowed her eyes mischievously. "They need someone to play with, then." The corners of her lips turned up in a slight smile.

"Precisely. Do be a dear and keep the Ronin occupied…"

"I would be delighted to, my Emperor…" Kylyra fidgeted in place slightly, looking very eager, yet her jet-black pupils glittered with unfettered malice.

* * *

"Oh no! Not again, not again, not again!" a portly balding man in a expensive suit fled down the street, going so far as to shove other fleeing citizens out of the way in his frantic effort to outrun the attackers. He ignored the screams of captured victims and focused solely on his parked limo just a block ahead. He spotted the silhouette of his loyal driver through the tinted windows. He waved frantically, urging the councilman to run faster.

All of a sudden two towering constructs landed on the roof of the car, caving it in under their weight. The councilman stumbled back and landed on his butt, trying to scramble away as the constructs stepped off of the flattened luxury car and lumbered towards him, aiming weapons mounted on their arms at him. They stood nearly twice as tall as he and growled menacingly.

"Leave him be," a youthful female voice stated firmly. The two constructs lowered their weapons and stepped to either side to make way for a little girl who looked to be roughly ten years of age. "So much _hatred_ towards the Ronin Warriors. A heart full of wickedness such as yours would serve the Dynasty far better free than enslaved," the girl said with a smile.

"L-L-Lady! Listen! I have _no_ idea what you're talking about! I'm just a politician!" the balding man stammered and shook his head. The girl chuckled softly.

"Talpa send you to do his grocery shopping?" The councilman cringed and shielded his bald head as a weighted black claw smashed into the chest plate of one of the large constructs. A sword impaled the second in the face to no effect at first. Bright crimson fluid began dribbling onto the visor, causing the head to melt and cave in. Golden arrows and small crescent blades plowed through the chests of the lesser constructs holding civilians captive. While shrapnel and sparks flew to either side of her, the girl stood there calmly.

"He totally needs to lay off of souls. It's bad for his health," Kento of Hardrock stated.

"Yeah, too much and Talpa will end up just as fat," Dais of Illusion snickered. Kento blinked and frowned at that remark, glancing sideways at the Elder.

"Talpa should know full well by now as long as he exists, the Ronin Warriors will protect all mortals. Even the bad apples," Ryo of the Wildfire flicked a glance at the cowering politician and narrowed his eyes. The man gulped and scooted away with his palms. The girl kept her back turned to the ten warriors and closed her eyes. Her lips turned up in a smirk.

She lifted one leg to the side slightly and spun about on her heel, coming to face her challengers. She tilted her head up slightly and opened her eyes, smiling.

"What the-!" "Is that-is that Kayura?!" "From, like, five years ago…" the Ronin muttered amongst themselves in shock. Kylyra giggled musically and clasped her hands behind her back.

"My name is Kylyra, and I am Emperor Talpa's right hand. I would have liked to introduce myself sooner, but my previous playmate was _quite_ rude."

"Talpa's tainted yet another soul beyond redemption! I'll drive all six of my swords through your poisoned heart!" Sehkmet shouted and recalled his sword from the face of the Destroyer.

"What?! Whoa, Sehk, we don't do that, even to Dynasty servants!" Ryo protested and grabbed Sehkmet by the shoulder. Sehkmet glared at him and shoved his hand away.

"Silence, _boy_!" Sehkmet spat. Ryo blinked, taken aback by the harsh remark. "I don't need _you_ telling _me_ what to do! Who died and made you Sun Emperor!?"

Ryo opened his mouth to protest. "He's right you know." Ryo looked to the side, surprised when Rowen spoke. "For a guy who likes to pretend he's in charge, you do a pretty lousy job."

"Oh like you could do better, Mr. Genius," Cye retorted. "You may be the Warrior of Life, but you could give two hoots about collateral damage!"

"Um, guys? Evil girl right over there…" Tanya pointed at Kylyra, who stood there smiling.

"This is absurd. Why the hell am I even bothering to continue fighting? I'm expecting a child, and I'd rather not waste what little of my life I have dealing with this _farce_!" Dais sneered.

"COWARD!" Kento bellowed and seized Dais by the collar, lifting him off the ground. "I'LL SMASH YOU!" His eyes flickered white and his voice deepened.

"As usual, you're all threat and no thought. Mal Daggur didn't mess with your body; you were already messed up to begin with," Sage huffed disdainfully.

"Well look at the pretty pot calling the kettle dark," Cale snorted and pointed at Sage with his claw gauntlet. "You're far from being guiltless yourself, you know."

"Guys! What the hell are you all doing!?" Tanya exclaimed, simultaneously frustrated, stunned, and horrified at hearing such remarks from warriors that had-on many occasions- risked their lives for each other in the very recent past.

"Stand aside, Lady Ronin. I'll bring these fools back to their senses, even if I have to beat it back into them," Anubis growled and gathered up his chain. Tanya frowned in increasing worry. He sounded more like a Dark Warlord than a Ronin Warrior… Tanya glanced back and forth at the quarreling Ronin, appalled by the sudden violent outburst. Even Ryo reacted to Anubis' intervention with hostility, arguing that the Elder meant to 'usurp his authority'.

Tanya blinked and looked over her shoulder at Kylyra. The child-like minion's lips spread in a wide smirk, and her eyes narrowed. Her pupils seemed to shimmer like obsidian. "You! You're causing this!" Tanya drew both swords and joined them together at the pommel. The politician squealed in terror and pelted down one of the side streets when Tanya began spinning her blades. "Screw this! TYPHOON BLAST!" Tanya howled and unleashed her power point-blank at the ten year-old looking girl. The ferocious winds flayed pavement from ground and walls off of buildings. Glass and metal shards swept down the street, and cars tumbled about like toys.

Tanya parted her blades and let her arms hang at her sides, seething with anger. Dust hung thick in the air, and Tanya gasped when she barely made out a humanoid figure in the cloud. The dust began to settle, and Tanya's eyes widened in shock at what she saw.

"For someone who calls herself 'Lady Ronin', you certainly are not very lady-like," words came out of lips made of what appeared to be moving black stone polished mirror-smooth.

"What the…what…what _are_ you?" Tanya stammered, suddenly feeling very ill. She blinked and turned away slightly, raising her arm to her face. The force of the Typhoon Blast had scoured away every bit of skin from the girl, revealing a petite figure seemingly carved from glittering black stone. Bolts of violet energy crackled over the surface periodically. The black hair had fallen away, leaving the head completely bald and smooth. The eyes glittered and crackled.

"Tanya! What have you done!?" Tanya looked over her shoulder when she heard Ryo. "How could you be so reckless and use your power like that?! You could've killed someone!"

"Ryo-I-" Tanya glanced from him to the ruined street. Thankfully everyone in the area had the sense to run the hell away when Tanya began her attack. He _did_ have a point…but something in his voice sounded…_wrong_. Tanya glanced briefly at the crackling stone humanoid. The true form of Kylyra grinned wickedly. Tanya glanced back at Ryo and saw him stalking towards her.

"I've had enough of your going off half-cocked! You _always_ do this! You never listen, always acting on your own. We're supposed to be a team; how can we do anything when you refuse to co-operate!" Ryo drew both swords. His voice had an unnatural tone to it. Tanya started to step back but hesitated when she remembered Kylyra still stood close by. The other Ronin could not help; they'd either been beaten unconscious by Anubis or each other or succumbed to the same sickness that affected Tanya. "When will you ever learn!? You-"

Just as Ryo raised one arm to strike, Tanya spun about and swung up with her heel, driving it into Ryo's armor-plated crotch with enough force to lift him two feet off the ground. He seemed to hover in midair several moments, suspended by the powerful blow. Ryo let out a gurgling sigh as he dropped onto his side with a clank. He coughed several times and convulsed before passing out, and Tanya turned to face the grinning crystalline monstrosity.

"Poor little Lady Ronin. All alone now. That is how things have always been for you, have they not? You never did quite get along with your fellow Ronin Warriors, did you? In many respects, you seem to prefer things that way." Tanya shook her head from the sudden pressure in her sinuses. She felt as if something weighed her down all over, and she had trouble keeping her vision focused. "Feeling a little ill are we? Oh, whatever could be the problem? I thought you were immune to the Dynasty's influence. That _is_ the great power of all Lady Ronin, is it not?"

"You…won't…get away…with…ugh…" Tanya coughed and snorted several times, as if something clogged her breathing. Kylyra's glittering black eyes narrowed maliciously.

_"KYLYRA!"_ A deep voice boomed from the suddenly overcast sky.

"Master!" Kylyra gasped and tilted her head skyward.

_"KYLYRA, RETURN TO ME!"_ Talpa's voice ordered.

"Ohh, must I?" Kylyra whined in dismay.

"_YOU CANNOT SURVIVE LONG IN THIS FORM. LEFT UNCHECKED, YOUR POWER WILL RIP YOU ASUNDER. RETURN TO ME, KYLYRA! I HAVE NO DESIRE TO LOSE YOU!"_ Kylyra's stone lips wrinkled in a pout and she looked back at Tanya.

"I have to go now, but I assure you," she grinned widely, bolts of energy arcing over her face. "I will return to play again soon. _Very_ soon…" her form vanished in a spray of crackling darkness. Tanya shook her head as she felt the sickness leave her body.

She stood there staring up at the darkened sky for a few moments before remembering the other Ronin. She reached down and toggled audio link on her wrist-com. "WILDCAT TO THE RESCUE! WILDCAT TO THE RESCUE!" she shouted then glanced at the fallen Ronin and pressed another button. "Bak, I need you to get Shannon, Kayura, and Tar down here, fast! There's a lot of wounded, no idea how severely. Maybe even Michelle, too."

Tanya looked up when she heard the distant clanging and stepped forward to meet WILDCAT as she approached. WILDCAT looked startled to see the other nine Ronin strewn over the pavement. Tanya explained the situation softly and reached to open the built-in compartments that held emergency stores of Richtho leaves. Despite having no hands to assist, WILDCAT used her sensors to alert Tanya to those who needed treatment the most…

* * *

Kayura shut the door behind her and met Tanya out in the upstairs hall. "They're resting better now…their injuries seem to be more spiritual than physical…"

"Kay, what the hell _was_ that out there? She looked the spitting image of you! Except…young…and evil…" Tanya wrinkled her nose. Kayura drew in a deep breath.

"That night…the night Dygra revived Talpa…when I asked the Ronin what it felt like; having their power taken…I did not ask out of idle curiosity." Tanya frowned in concern.

"…There's more you're not telling me, isn't there?" she asked softly and scowled.

"Yes, but it must wait until the others have recovered. They need to hear as well."

"That's another thing…when I exposed her, something about her started to make me _physically_ sick. I felt ready to throw up just from _looking_ at her," Tanya shook her head.

"I think I know what you mean. Young Australa described similar symptoms during her ordeal in Talpa's fortress. Your immunity to the Dark Power protected you to an extent, but just as too much dust can suffocate, so too can such overwhelming evil affect even you."

"Well that sucks…I'm supposed to be the Ronin's trump card against this sort of thing. What good am I if I can't stand against something like this?" Tanya sighed and rubbed her shoulder.

"The blame lies in me, not you. Once again, one of my loose threads has caused harm to the Ronin Warriors. I have disgraced the Ancients' Clan…" Kayura squeezed her eyes shut.

"Now that's not fair, Kayura. You have the Staff and all, but you're no psychic. You couldn't have known something like this would happen. You can't be too hard on yourself, anyway. You and the other Elders never were given any real chances to come back, unlike Black Hawk…shit, she was practically _spoon-fed_ chances and she threw away each and every one…"

"Thank you…you're right. Nothing can be gained in hindsight. As always, we must adapt and strengthen our resolve. You said she requires her skin to contain her power? There's a glimmer of hope in that, at least." Tanya smirked at that remark and looked slightly relieved.

* * *

Cye groaned and opened his eyes slowly. He glanced about wearily and saw himself lying in bed, oddly enough wearing sub-armor. He scooted himself up against the headboard and rubbed his eyelids with his fingertips. He blinked again and looked about the room but much to his surprise instead of Kento sleeping in the other bed, he saw Sehkmet. The Elder Ronin also wore sub-armor, and looked as if he'd slept fitfully with the sheets tangled around his arms and draped over his shoulders. Cye scooted out from under the covers and tried to stand.

He tottered slightly, feeling dizzy until strength returned to his legs. He stepped towards the other bed and leaned over Sehkmet. "Sehk…hey…you okay? Do you-?"

Sehkmet's eyes snapped wide open and he seized Cye by his armor collar and pulled him close. His pupils contracted and his eyes looked bloodshot. "When will it end?! Huh! When will it end!?" Sehkmet shrieked, shaking Cye roughly. "How long will we be _tormented_ by our pasts?! Will we ever be free from that evil!? Will it always _linger_ in our hearts!?" Sehkmet's face contorted with grief and he began sobbing uncontrollably. All of a sudden Cye remembered everything that had happened the previous night…at least up until he'd been clubbed in the head by one of his fellow Ronin. He remembered saying things he thought himself incapable of saying.

Sehkmet continued whimpering and bawling. Cye slapped him across the face abruptly, and Sehkmet fell silent, blinking stupidly. "Get a hold of yourself, Sehkmet. You're a Ronin Warrior now, not a Dark Warlord. Fear is a luxury we can't afford," Cye said firmly and narrowed his eyes. Sehkmet sat there blinking several times and said nothing.

"…Thank you Cye…I needed that…" Cye seated himself on the bed and patted Sehkmet on the back sympathetically. In the other bedrooms, the other Ronin slowly recovered with the dreadful knowledge of what they had done to each other as Kylyra's power had dredged up old grudges long thought dead. They found it more disturbing that not only could she control them, she could do so with relative ease. Guilt had to wait, however, as Kayura summoned everyone into the living room to divulge the truth. Tanya stood at her side and while the other Ronin seated themselves either on the floor next to the coffee table or on the sofas.

"Centuries ago, Talpa enlisted Badamon and his Nether Priests to create special artifacts intended as a precaution in the event his Dark Warlords would betray him, and the Nine ally against him. He distilled the essence of all the wickedness the Dynasty had collected over the ages and created ten orbs of pure negative energy. These were dubbed the 'Spheres of Evil'.

"When Dygra stripped me of the Armor of Cruelty, a…piece of my soul 'peeled' away with it. I thought Dygra would have disposed of it, but clearly she anticipated some future purpose. I believe Talpa used it along with the Spheres of Evil to craft this…'golem' in my likeness. She appears innocent, but under that false flesh she is quite literally the purest essence of evil."

"Kayura…these spheres…if Talpa had used them directly on us…what would they have done?" Rowen asked cautiously. Kayura looked troubled by the thought and sighed.

"Against the Elders…because of their past history…they could have turned them wholly back to evil." Anubis, Dais, Sehkmet, and Cale looked distraught by the notion, especially after the burdens they'd suffered to overcome their former lives. "Against you younger Ronin, the spheres could have caused you to abandon all discipline and restraint, diluting your pure spirits. While it may have been possible to free you from such control, the actions you might have committed while under their influence would have been…irrevocable.

"Shaped into physical form such as Kylyra, this power has less magnitude but can be used much more frequently. Only Anubis' strong spiritual conditioning as a former Staff Bearer allowed him to retain a measure of control." Anubis only looked slightly comforted by that.

"I don't get it, how can she control us? Our armors were remade," Cye argued.

"Your armors' physical forms were destroyed, yes, but the essence remains the same, otherwise Dygra would not have been able to steal it to feed Talpa in the first place. Despite being cleansed, the tiniest bit of that original taint remains in each of the Armors, even yours," Kayura glanced at the younger Ronin. "That is what allows Kylyra to influence you."

"Guys…you know what this means right? This is an enemy we _cannot_ fight. At least not in full armor…" Rowen commented.

"We'll just have to make do without. We've done it before," Sage reasoned.

"Hey, aren't you forgetting something? We're not just dealing with your run-of-the-mill aluminum goons anymore. These guys pack a lot of firepower," Kento reminded.

"So we can't fight Dynasty Droids _without_ full armor, and we can't fight Kylyra _with_ full armor…that definitely bites…" Ryo muttered.

"We could try using the AnimArmors since they're separate," Rowen suggested.

"But then that'd leave the Elders out of the action," Kento protested.

"We'll manage. We've been doing this a lot longer than your _ancestors_ have been alive," Dais sniffed. Despite his outward confidence, he sounded reluctant.

"I kinda wish Azuro hadn't taken all of his forces with him. Yeah, I know they gotta keep after Mal Daggur's fleet and all, but it wouldn't have hurt to leave a _few_ riders behind in case of emergency," Rowen grumbled. "I guess there's still Danae and Yulie…"

"Hello? Danae's pregnant and Yulie's just a kid," Cale argued.

"That 'kid' has done more than his fair share of fighting," Tanya countered. While the others tossed theories back and forth, Ryo leaned against the wall brooding.

He did a double-take when he spotted something out the corner of his eye and saw a long, rounded muzzle poking into the room. Miz Paufan looked quite sheepish but also urgent. Ryo excused himself from the group and headed for the door. He shut it behind him and met the youngest and smallest member of Bak Thraplek's Thunthen crew in the hall.

While Mia hadn't expressly forbidden the Thunthen from entering the estate, she'd made her displeasure quite apparent when the lumbering Nobles had nearly broken her doorframes with their shell spikes on their way to and from building the entry hall and cable lifts of the Roost. The Common fidgeted slightly as if the carpet made his feet itch.

"Hey Miz, what's up?" Ryo asked quietly.

"I heard what happened, and while I'm relieved everyone returned home safely, this is a most troubling turn of events," Miz whispered.

"Yeah…just when you think you have Talpa figured out, he whips out this little evil girl that uses evil mind control," Ryo huffed bitterly and folded his arms over his chest.

"I see…she must be using telepathy to impair the portions of the brain responsible for emotional control and rational thought…" Miz muttered and stroked his small beard thoughtfully, averting his gaze. Ryo made a face and glanced from side to side.

"Yeeeaahhh…so she uses evil mind control. So, um, what brings you up here?"

"Oh! Well…we've encountered a most unusual puzzle…see, sometime after you returned, the Apprentices spotted a set of items resting atop the conference table. No one knows how they got there or who put them there, and the Captain sent me to ask if you'd seen something like this before," Miz drew something from his shell and held it up for Ryo to see. Ryo looked down at the round object resting in Miz's outstretched palm and reached to grab it.

It looked to be made of a solid, shiny red material with the Wildfire insignia adorning the flattened top and bottom. He turned it over and studied it, cocking his head from side to side. He reached up with his other hand and pinched a small loop of braided string and pulled it away from the notch running all along the middle of the object. He wove his middle finger through the loop and cupped the object in his palm then turned his hand over, letting the object drop until it reached the extent of the string and spun through the air.

"It's a yo-yo," Ryo answered and drew it back up into his palm expertly. "I used to have one as a kid," he explained, reminiscing and displaying some of the tricks he vaguely remembered.

"Sooo…it's a…toy?" Miz wrinkled his muzzle.

"Yup. So, what? Danae had her sister make these to commemorate our victory over Mal Daggur?" Ryo asked and unfurled the yo-yo again before withdrawing it and pulling the string from his finger and handing it back to Miz, who eyed it skeptically down his muzzle.

"Well…that _would_ be a plausible theory if it wasn't emitting the same energy signature as your armor," Miz commented. Ryo's eyes widened in shock and he raised both eyebrows.

"Come again!?"

* * *

"In the time we've been living here," Miz explained on the way to the comm. room. "We've taken the liberty of studying the unique energy emitted by your armors. Originally it was done with the purpose of improving the effective range of the wrist-coms, in the event of a communications blackout such as the incident in the caverns." Ryo hummed and frowned. How much of that nightmare could've been avoided if they'd only been able to call for help? Miz approached the console and typed in commands, calling up various images and enlarging them. "This is the signature given off by the Armor of Wildfire." Miz nodded towards a graph showing a brilliant red pulsing wave that flickered occasionally.

"You guys can _see_ that?" Ryo blinked in surprise. Miz nodded and hummed in reply. Ryo looked back at the screen, impressed that the Thunthen could 'detect' magic.

"And this is the signature given off by this object." Miz called up another image, of a similar wave only narrower and slightly dimmer. "Notice the similarities despite the reduced magnitude?" Miz pointed to various hills and valleys that seemed identical to the image above. "Their nature remains unclear, only they are somehow connected with your armors. Do you know where these could have come from?" Miz asked and looked at Ryo.

"…The Ancient One!" Ryo whispered in exclamation. Miz blinked in confusion. "Um…uh…" Ryo tried to remember the appropriate Thangien word Miz might be familiar with. "Tyatatiante," he said, and Miz made an "ahh" and nodded. "He defeated Talpa during his first invasion a thousand years ago, and created the Nine Armors to break up his power. He sacrificed himself to give us a chance at driving Talpa out of the Realm in the First Dynasty War. Even after all this time…." Ryo looked at the yo-yo. "He's still trying to help us…"

* * *

"Is this someone's idea of a joke?" Sehkmet asked as he cupped a dark green yo-yo decorated with the Venom insignia. The other Ronin stood in a loose circle in the upstairs living room, each one holding the yo-yo with their respective armor symbols in their palms. "No, seriously, is this someone's idea of a joke?" he asked again and looked up at the others, who shrugged.

"Why else would they have appeared now? It can't be a coincidence," Anubis argued.

"But how can we be sure The Ancient made these? He's been dead for years," Rowen added.

"It has to be him! The Thunthen said they just appeared out of thin air," Tanya said.

"Maybe Suzunagi sent them?" Cye brought up, looking hopeful.

"She departed to the Afterworld in peace and left the future in our hands. It's not in her nature. She placed her trust in us; she wouldn't renege on that promise," Sage countered.

"Either way, what _are_ they? Are they armors? Are they meant to strengthen us against Kylyra? Kinda fits, with her being a kid…" Cale muttered.

"I can't sense anything, but Miz said it emits the same magic as Wildfire," Ryo stated.

"Well…maybe they're not meant to be used by us," Kento said. The others looked at him.

"What do you mean by that?" Dais asked.

"Well, the Continentals weren't designed for _us_, right? There were supposed to be other Ronin Warriors, only the ones we've been using were the only ones ever completed."

"Kayura? Do you know anything about another set of armors?" Sage asked.

"I haven't the _slightest_ clue! I have access to all of The Ancient's memories, but I can't recall anything about him or the Mystic Alliance creating anything _remotely_ related to these," Kayura shook her head and brushed hair away from her eyes.

"You suppose Leo made them? Maybe he thought using magic took too long, so he tried making 'artificial armors' when the Mystic Alliance were wiped out," Sehkmet theorized.

"Leo died before that happened, but it's entirely possible these could be some sort of 'side project' of his. He wasn't 'kept in the loop', so to speak. He mostly served as a technical consultant and theoretician," Anubis added. Sage looked over his shoulder when he spotted movement and saw Miz Paufan standing off to one side. The youngest of the Thunthen rubbed the scaled ridges between his nostrils and eyes with his thumb and index finger and had his eyes squeezed shut. Apparently such frequent use of the M words embarrassed him.

"Then how did they just pop up all of a sudden?"

"Leo had his ways…"

"Um…excuse me, if you don't mind my asking; who's this 'Leo' you keep referring to?" Miz spoke up suddenly and took a step forward, raising a hand slightly.

"Leonardo da Vinci. He was a very influential figure in Earth's history," Rowen replied. "He devised a lot of principles and theories centuries ago that were decades ahead of their time. He helped lay the foundation for technology we take for granted today."

"Yeah. Imagine a guy three times older than Rowen and ten times smarter," Kento said with a grin, drawing an irritated scowl from Rowen, who folded his arms over his chest.

"He helped design the AnimArmors and the Armor of Typhoon," Ryo added.

"I see…" Miz muttered and tilted his muzzle down, scratching his beard thoughtfully.

"So what should we do with these for now? Let the Thunthen poke and prod?" Tanya asked.

"Nah, I think we should carry them around with us until their purpose is revealed. They popped out of thin air; they wouldn't have appeared now unless it had to do with Kylyra," Cye suggested. The others nodded in agreement and pocketed the yo-yos. They began to leave the room, some to train, some to eat, and others to go back to sleep.

"Hey Tanya, wait up sis." Tanya paused and turned around when she heard Ryo call her name. "Hey, I needed to ask you something…did you _really_ have to kick me so hard?"

"Yes I did, and believe me; it hurt me to do it a _lot_ more than it hurt you," Tanya said firmly and nodded before turning to leave. Ryo made a face at that statement and sighed. He left the room and headed downstairs. He reached the ground floor intending to go outside to train but paused when he spotted Whiteblaze curled up on his mat.

It just occurred to Ryo that he hadn't spent as much time with his tiger companion as he used to lately, mostly on account of struggling to stave off an invasion from hostile alien dinosaurs… Ryo jogged back upstairs to his room, leaving the tiger napping peacefully.

Whiteblaze twitched his ears when he heard the thump of fast footsteps and he opened his eyes when he sensed someone close by. "Hey Blaze, feel like going for a walk?" Whiteblaze lifted his head and glanced from Ryo to the large embossed leather collar Ryo held in his hands.

* * *

Of course it served a purely ornamental purpose, though Whiteblaze seemed to think it allowed him to keep track of Ryo rather than vice versa. The sun had another hour or two before rising, so Ryo used the narrow window to travel to the seaside park. No one else could be seen jogging the graveled pathways, and if people started wandering in, plenty of bushes nearby offered ample cover for the large feline. Whiteblaze padded along leisurely, clearly happy to be able to stretch his paws without sinking his claws into a Dynasty Droid.

_A new team of Ronin Warriors? Why now? Why not when we fought Talpa, or Mal Daggur?_ Ryo thought and frowned. _Ahhh, that'd probably be too easy. Fate certainly loves to throw us a curve ball from time to time. Whether this is another of The Ancient's backup plans or one of Leo's forgotten masterpieces, the bigger question is what sort of impact they'll have on-_

"OOF!" Ryo had been walking alongside a tall hedge maze and had almost reached the corner when something collided with him, sending him staggering back a step. He shook his head and blinked then looked up to see a young girl with brown eyes wearing dark blue sweat pants and a white T-shirt. Her dark brown hair hung down her back, bound in a thick braid.

"Woops! Sorry mister! I shoulda slowed down before I passed the corner! Gosh, I am _so_ sorry!" Ryo looked down at the girl and nodded reassuringly. The impact hadn't hurt him _that_ much… "I get so caught up when running, I lose track of-uhhhhhhh!" The girl's eyes widened and she took a step back, her jaw opening and closing in shock.

Instead of making for the bushes like he normally did to avoid being seen, Whiteblaze moved out from behind Ryo and stepped close to the girl, bringing his nose within an inch of her face.

"THAT IS A BIG CAT! THAT IS A _VERY_ BIG CAT!" the girl squawked and backed away a step, only for Whiteblaze to step closer, staring at her intently. Ryo glanced from the tiger to the girl, uncertain what to make of the behavior. "WAAUUUGH!" the girl turned around and pelted down the pathway faster than Ryo thought possible. Ryo gasped when Whiteblaze crouched and took off bounding after the girl, yanking the leash grip out of his hand.

"WHITEBLAZE! STOP! NO! WE DO _NOT_ CHASE PEOPLE!" Ryo shouted to no avail. The fastest human athlete alive could not possibly hope to outrun a full-grown tiger, but the girl tried her darned hardest as she fled through the park screaming wildly, so much so Ryo found it difficult keeping up with them. "HALT! SIT! HEEL! DESIST! BAD TIGER! STOOOOP! STOOOOP!" The girl sprang over a park bench like a hurdle without losing momentum. Whiteblaze leapt over it with similar ease but steadily closed the distance, bounding playfully almost. To her credit, the girl kept her gaze ahead, focusing on obstacles in her path.

Despite her best efforts, Whiteblaze came up from behind and nudged her in the calf with his nose, sending the girl tumbling off the path and into the dew-laden grass. The girl tried to scramble to hands and knees only to be bowled over when Whiteblaze thrust his head against her chest and nuzzled her fiercely, pausing every few moments to lick her face.

"Uuugh! Gross!" the girl complained as Ryo arrived and came to a stop panting near the two. "Mister! Can you _please_ tell your cat to quit it! I saw on the nature channel that cats don't do this cuz they like you; they do it cuz they're saying they _own_ you!" the girl grumbled while trying to fend off Whiteblaze's persistent muzzle with her palms.

"Actually…in his case, it means he likes you…wow…_wow_, he _really_ likes you…" Ryo blinked and glanced from his companion to the girl. She tried scooting away but Whiteblaze stepped after her, crooning happily. "I've never seen him react so well to a complete stranger."

"That's not much of a complement at all! No! Quit iiiiit! I don't need a bath yet!" the girl squawked in protest when Whiteblaze began washing her face.

"Okay, that does it. That's enough, Blaze," Ryo stooped down and wrapped his arms around the tiger's broad shoulders and tried to pull him away without much success. "What the-will you-quit it!" Ryo hissed and struggled to lift one of Whiteblaze's thick arms. He'd managed to move the paw a few inches off the ground before Whiteblaze slipped out of his grasp and set it back down, continuing to nuzzle the girl affectionately.

"I am _reaaaaally_ sorry about all this," Ryo said to the girl. "Normally he's much better behaved than this…Will you just…no, stop it! _Stop it_! Ghk-just-_quit it or I'll let Koi play with you!"_ Ryo hissed into Whiteblaze's ear. Whiteblaze promptly leaned back and sat down in the grass, coiling his tail about his haunches.

"Bwalgh! Ughhh!" the girl moaned and tried to wipe dew from the nearby grass to wash tiger saliva off her face. "Don't you need a permit to keep something like that in the city!? You from Vegas? I forget which one has the dark hair… Where you from anywho? I never seen you around here before. You must not come here a lot cuz I run every morning before sunup and I'm usually the only one here. Where you live?" the girl finally ended her battery of questions.

"Um…well…I…usually don't come here to begin with. We live outside city limits…"

"Ohhh, okay. That makes sense. I'd know if I'd met you before. I live in White Towers."

"White Towers?" Ryo asked as he and the girl rose to their feet simutaneously.

"Luxury high-rise apartments-sorta-thing. I live there with my dad. I moved here to live with him after…well, he resigned his old job…so…yeah…" the girl trailed off, sounding hesitant. Ryo could sense sadness in her words. "Hey, you wanna hear something funny? People call it 'White Towers' cuz supposedly a dragon crashed into the original building just before the grand opening last year. Otherwise I woulda been here sooner. Can you imagine that?"

"Huh…really…that's…strange…" Ryo grimaced, remembering all too well the sight of Raurgoth plunging back-first into a building after a failed attack. The two of them looked down when Whiteblaze stepped towards the girl again. The girl backed away, moving around Ryo.

"What!? What! What is it with you about me?" she fussed and stepped backwards, the two circumventing Ryo while he watched bewildered. "What, do you want food? Huh? Do you smell food? You smell food?" The girl paused and reached down to unzip a small pack strapped around her waist. She took out something wrapped in plastic and began peeling the corners away.

"Look! Look, here's some food! It's corned beef," she held a sandwich out at arm's length, as if offering to appease the tiger. Whiteblaze sniffed at the sandwich then took a large chomp and chewed contentedly. "Niiiiice tiger…good tiger…" the girl said and set the rest of the sandwich on the ground slowly then backed away step by step. Whiteblaze lunged forward suddenly and butted the girl in the chest gently, nuzzling her affectionately. The girl made a face and seemed to resign herself to the fact by patting Whiteblaze's broad head.

"Hah hah! I think it's safe to say you made a good impression with him," Ryo chuckled merrily. The girl made a half-smile and even reached up to rub Whiteblaze's ears. The three looked to the horizon when they saw orange start to stain the purple sky.

"Ok, I really should be heading back home. I'm sorry I bumped into you, sir. You two take care and have a good day!" the girl waved before running back to the gravel path.

"Goodbye," Ryo called and waved. Whiteblaze sat back down and twitched his whiskers. "Huh?" Ryo blinked when he thought he heard a faint humming. He glanced to either side and even over his shoulder before he realized it came from his pocket. He reached inside and pulled out the red yo-yo with the Wildfire emblem. The object gave off a reddish glow that pulsed strongly. Ryo glanced from it to the departing girl and noticed how the glow dimmed as she moved out of sight. Ryo's eyes widened and he looked from Whiteblaze to the distant path.

Whiteblaze stared into the distance, humming almost wistfully. His ears pressed down then flared open and his tail tip twitched. Ryo looked down at the yo-yo again, his brow furrowing in dawning realization. The purpose of the objects seemed to have been revealed at last, but the sickening dismay in his heart made him wish it hadn't.


	2. Wildfire

Wildfire

By Mardrena

"The signs are perfectly clear, Ryo. It cannot be ignored," Anubis calmly stated.

"She's just a kid, Anubis!" Ryo argued as he paced alongside the conference table. "She's younger than Yulie, for crying out loud! How can we expect _her_ to fight the Dynasty?"

"…How old were _you_ when you first started fighting Talpa?" Anubis asked abruptly. Ryo folded his arms over his chest and turned away quickly, snorting in frustration and rolling his eyes. "Let me tell you something; when I was no older than Yulie is now, I set out into the world intent on doing three things: Conquering rivals, fate, and women." Ryo did a double take and made a face at that remark. "And I can assure you I accomplished all three before I reached adulthood." Ryo stared at Anubis out the corner of his eye and sighed.

"I thought that was the whole point behind us Ronin Warriors," he grumbled. "For us to do the fighting so no one else has to."

"And yet we're increasingly finding ourselves faced by threats we cannot face, even as a team. Our roster goes beyond just those that wear armor, just as our enemy does not limit their attacks to the Ronin Warriors alone. If we are to triumph in this ongoing battle, everyone must take up arms, not just us. Even young Yulie has contributed his own effort in battle."

"Danae told me he and Wind took out twice as many Thunthen fighters as she did during Mal Daggur's attack…" Ryo let out a soft chuckle and shook his head.

"We no longer have merely the Dynasty to contend with, and Talpa is driven ever more desperate with the knowledge that there are those who can challenge and match his power directly. Plenty of Nether Lords vied for control after his defeat; none had the _spine_ to challenge him outright…" Anubis folded one arm over his chest and thumbed his chin then shrugged. "Well, except perhaps Sabrestryke, but you know how THAT turned out…"

Ryo leaned forward and rest his palms against his place tile, staring into his reflection for several moments before looking up at Anubis. "She's innocent…she shouldn't have to fight."

"There are no innocents in war, Ryo," Anubis replied sadly and shook his head. "There are those who sit on the sidelines, and those who take a stand." With that, he turned to leave.

"What about those who get caught in the middle?" Ryo called after him and pushed away from the table. Anubis paused and looked over his shoulder at him.

"That's why they're supposed to take a stand," he stated crisply and exited the room. Ryo sighed again and looked down at the red yo-yo with the Wildfire insignia. He furrowed his brow then reached out and grabbed it off the table.

* * *

"So what am I supposed to say to her?" Ryo grumbled as he walked through the park with Whiteblaze padding alongside him. "'Hey! Guess what! You're destined to fight the forces of evil when you really should be going to school or sitting at home playing games with your friends!'" The tiger glanced at him and twitched his ears. "I mean, it's not like _I_ have any regrets, but being a Ronin Warrior shouldn't be a first career choice…"

"Hey mister! You're back!" Ryo looked up and saw the young girl jogging down the gravel path waving at him. He waved back and smiled and came to a stop as she approached. "Hi Whiteblaze! Looook aaat whaaaat I gooot forrrr youuuuu," she sang and retrieved something from her waist pack and carefully unwrapped it while Whiteblaze waited patiently. "It's a sandwich." She held it out towards Whiteblaze, who leaned forward and sniffed at it. "It's chicken. I figured you'd wanna try something different." Whiteblaze eagerly took a bite out of the sandwich and the girl held the remainder in one hand while she patted Whiteblaze's head with the other. Whiteblaze finished the rest of the sandwich and butted the girl in the chest gently, purring. The girl laughed richly and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You know what, mister? He might've almost scared the actual pants off of me the other day, but I really, _really_ like your cat," the girl said and nuzzled Whiteblaze.

"He seems to really like you too," Ryo replied, smiling. "Uh…" he frowned and made a face. "…you know what, everything happened so fast, I don't even know your name."

"Oh!" the girl blinked and raised both eyebrows. She cupped Whiteblaze's chin and turned his face towards her. "Well I know _his_ name. It's Whiteblaze. I heard it while you were yelling at him to stop chasing me," she stated and hugged Whiteblaze again.

"Sanada Ryo," Ryo introduced himself formally.

"Oh, I forgot you people do that over here. Um…uh…err…" the girl scratched her head then sighed and shrugged. "I'm Emma Coburn," she replied, sticking what she felt familiar with.

"Coburn? You're American?" Ryo raised an eyebrow.

"Yup. I'm from Montana. I used to live with Mom while Dad worked over here, but…well she was in a car accident…" Emma admitted sadly, and Whiteblaze nuzzled her comfortingly. "So Dad brought me over her to live with him. He used to work for one of those big tech corporations, but he resigned, so now he outsources as a consultant for other big companies. He spends a lot of his time working, but I know it's to support us here."

Ryo pondered the best way to explain things to Emma while Whiteblaze indulged in the attention. Emma knelt down on the path and buried her face in the striped fur. "Mmmm, he feels like laundry fresh out of the dryer! Oooh noo noo noo noo," she hummed and rocked from side to side slightly, reaching up with one hand and rubbing Whiteblaze's ears. The tiger gave Ryo a look that seemed to say "How come you never rub me like _this_ anymore." Ryo made a face and tilted his head to one side. He glanced to the horizon as the sun began rising.

"I…guess you should be heading home so you can get ready for school," Ryo commented.

"Oh I don't go to school here. I'm homeschooled," Emma stated.

"Really? How come? You could make lots of friends at school," Ryo said with a smile. Emma frowned and averted her gaze, and Ryo saw a flicker of anger across her face.

"Well…you know how you people have a word you use for people like me?" Ryo frowned sadly. "I got called that. _A lot_," Emma explained stiffly.

"Oh wow…that's terrible. I-I'm so sorry. Usually people here are very polite."

"I know, it's just I seemed to get stuck with the really snooty ones. You know, the ones that give you _that_ look, like you don't deserve to be breathing the same air as they do…" Emma narrowed her eyes at the ground then looked back at Whiteblaze and rubbed noses with him. "But who needs friends at school when I can be friends with an awesome cool tiger. How about this: you come here tomorrow, and I'll bring you another sandwich. I can't cook as well as Mom used to, but I can make a _meeeeaaaaan_ sandwich!" Emma rubbed Whiteblaze's cheeks.

"Deal. I really need to take him walking more frequently. He gets a little fat just lounging around the house," Ryo joked. Emma stood up and dusted her knees off then gave Whiteblaze a farewell pat before resuming her early morning jog. She turned and waved goodbye. Ryo waved back but grunted when Whiteblaze butted him in the back of the thigh suddenly. "What?" Whiteblaze stared at him, apparently upset about something besides the fat comment. "Look, I'm not going to force this on her. It should be _her_ choice," Ryo stated firmly, ignoring the persistent humming from the yo-yo in his pocket now that Emma had left. Whiteblaze kept his peace and glanced at the departing Emma, folding his ears worriedly.

* * *

The polished stone sections of the device swung open like the petals of a nightmarish lotus. Violet energy crackled between the layers as Kylyra stepped out wearing her armor as well as intact flesh. She held out one arm and turned it over, inspecting the smooth, pale skin. Satisfied, she hopped down from the pedestal and walked out of the room and into the hall. Soldiers on watch stood at attention as she passed by on her way to the throne room. She entered and approached the throne to stand beside General Duratir. He greeted her with a curt nod.

"I do not understand what concerns you so greatly, Bautan," Talpa rumbled from his throne.

"Ryo of the Wildfire has gone out of his way to meet with that girl quite often as of late," Bautan explained and called down the viewing screen, showing images of the Ronin Leader chatting with the young girl named Emma Coburn. "The Ronin Warriors seldom socialize with anyone beyond their immediate company, and the Ronin Leader has never before ventured out into this particular area until recently. It cannot be a coincidence so soon after their defeat."

"She hardly seems capable of posing a threat," General Duratin harrumphed.

"Such a small one pales in comparison to the fearsome Outworlders," Admiral Duratin added.

"And yet, you forget a Thangien girl not much older very nearly dealt a grievous blow to the Master himself. We must observe closely and remain alert," Bautan reminded.

"It takes more than brazen defiance to threaten _me_, Bautan. Surely your concerns run deeper than a mere mortal child," Talpa commented. Bautan grimaced and raised a hand.

"Well…there is… um, a _power_ that has been aiding the Ronin in secret as of late. Even they are not aware of it." Kylyra made a face and blinked several times, glancing from side to side. Despite not having facial features, the Brothers looked similarly confused. Talpa's fearsome fanged visage managed to convey perplexity and frustration as well.

"…Perhaps, Bautan…if you would deign to be somewhat less _obscure_…" Talpa growled.

"I-um-er-well, I sensed it first during the Thangien girl's escape, a second time during the Thangiens' siege, and again after the Nether Bomb failed to launch properly. I believe it is Outworlder in origin, extremely powerful and omniscient," Bautan explained.

"If this 'power' is so great, then why does it not face me directly?" Talpa demanded.

"It is…difficult to say. It may be that it is prohibited from intervening openly, or that it merely chooses not to. Whatever the case, it clearly intends to hinder your designs-"

"ENOUGH OF THIS!" Talpa bellowed and rose from his throne. Bautan cringed and the Brothers and Kylyra bowed their heads. "I will not allow such pitiful fears to impede my goals! If this 'power' is so mighty, so omnipotent, then let it challenge me here and now! Let it _strike_ me where I stand!" Talpa raised his fist in challenge, but the air in the throne room remained still. "As I suspected…such fears are baseless. We shall bolster our forces and prepare for an assault of the likes this pathetic mortal city has never _seen_! We shall rain _terror_ from the heavens! All who oppose me-just as that _monk_ did- shall meet their punishment in the Void!"

"YES MASTER TALPA!" The Brothers and Kylyra proclaimed, but Bautan's reply came out more subdued. He frowned in concern, and Kylyra glanced at him out the corner of her eye.

* * *

"No one ever appreciates my efforts," Bautan moaned as he stooped over his worktable. Kylyra had accompanied him to his laboratory and currently leaned against the wall with one heel propped against the wall. Her gaze followed Bautan as he floated back and forth between shelves filled with musty parchments and vials of indeterminate substances. "Try as I might, I just cannot match the greatness of my fallen mentor…"

Kylyra watched with mild interest as Bautan summoned ten glass flasks to his table off their shelf from the opposite side of the room. She tilted her head out of the way as the flasks bobbed through the air past her and alighted on the surface. Bautan then reached under his table and pulled a large packet from a small alcove. He pulled a scroll and a roll of blank parchment from another cubbyhole. He unfurled the blank parchment on the table and tore it into ten pieces of equal size. Then he held the inscribed scroll in the air and let go, where it remained there as if tacked up on a wall. The scroll unfurled on its own, displaying arcane text.

"Master Talpa did not stay his hand on a whim. _Some_thing, some _being_ intervened on behalf of the Thangien girl. I could not quite see it…but I sensed it…" Bautan muttered as he placed a fingertip on the scroll then pointed at the ten blank pieces. They flashed briefly then dimmed, revealing copies of the original spell. "Not only that, I believe there are _multiple_ powers at work! A completely different one addressed me directly in the city! That voice…_booming_ in my head! The Emperor just does not understand!"

Bautan arranged the flasks in a row before him and unsealed the packet. He carefully poured out a small, equal amount of black sand into each flask before resealing the packet and tucking it back under his table. He paused and looked over his shoulder, tapping his chin with a skinny finger, trying to remember something. He gasped in recollection and pointed at a skinny jug made of black metal then beckoned with one finger. The jug rose off its shelf and floated towards the table. Bautan grabbed the curved handle and poured an equal amount of a dark gray-and-purple fluid into each flask then sent the jug back to its shelf when finished.

"Of course you care about none of this," Bautan sniffed, talking to Kylyra. "You merely seek an opportunity to cause further harm upon the Ronin." Kylyra smirked in acknowledgement. "The next time the Ronin Leader ventures out in the early morn, you shall intercept both him and this girl. Destroy, or at best cripple Ryo of the Wildfire, and bring this girl to the castle for interrogation. Now, being that this is 'off the record', neither the General nor the Admiral can be troubled for additional troops. To that end, I will provide you with these."

Bautan took up the first of the ten copies of the spell and rolled it up before stuffing it down the neck of a flask, all the while chanting under his breath. The mixture of black sand and purple fluid boiled and frothed, and the glass darkened, becoming almost opaque. Bautan finished reciting his spell and placed the scroll back in its alcove. He tapped each flask with a finger.

"Wildfire, Strata, Hardrock, Halo, Torrent, Typhoon, Cruelty, Illusion, Venom, Corruption." The flasks' contents changed to shades of red, blue, orange, green, light blue, pink, golden yellow, maroon, dark green, and gray. Bautan picked up the dark red flask, turned around, and hurled it to the floor. Kylyra grimaced in protest and skipped back, narrowly avoiding droplets splashing towards the wall as the flask shattered against the tiles, spilling its contents into a puddle. Bautan threw the other flasks onto the floor as well, and ten puddles sat in a row.

Black mist rose up from the puddles, and the liquid swelled and surged upwards, gradually taking on an almost humanoid appearance. Heads formed first, and glowing red eyes gazed out as the bodies continued developing. Kylyra watched intrigued as the puddles transformed into ten figures, each the size of a child. Tattered rags bound with cord covered their arms, chest, waist, and legs, and torn hoods covered their heads. A different color of clothing distinguished each one: red, blue, orange, green, light blue, pink, golden yellow, maroon, dark green, and gray. A sword hung in a scabbard across each one's back.

"These are my Kagemousha. While they can only mimic the strength of the Ronin, they are no less deadly in combat. They will assist you in your mission. You," Bautan pointed to the red-clothed Kagemousha. "You will accompany Kylyra into the city."

"I will do as you command," the red Kagemousha hissed, narrowing glowing red eyes.

"Most impressive, Bautan, but you seem to have forgotten about other weapons the Ronin have at their disposal," Kylyra commented. Bautan raised a finger and floated over to a huge pot.

"Thankfully, the one who assisted in your 'birth' foresaw such a predicament," Bautan stated and removed the lid to the pot then carefully reached inside. He grimaced and yelped girlishly before managing to gingerly retrieve something and place it inside a velvet bag. He floated over to Kylyra and handed her the pouch. "Use this in the event your charms fail-be careful!" Bautan snapped a warning when Kylyra tried to open the mouth of the pouch and peer inside. "Do not handle it with your bare hands, there is no telling whether it will gorge upon your essence or not."

"Very well then, Bautan," Kylyra tightened the draw string and swung the pouch around her index finger. Something squirming inside gurgled in protest until she cupped the pouch in her hand. "I will do this service for you; for my own amusement, of course."

"Of course," Bautan grinned and Kylyra giggled sinisterly. All the while the Kagemousha stood at attention, awaiting the command to spill blood; civilian, or Ronin…

* * *

Emma Coburn nodded greetings towards people she passed on the way to the park; mostly workers opening up their businesses or waiting for their daily commute. While most joggers tended to immerse themselves using music players, Emma thought of her footsteps and breathing as music in itself, focusing on the rhythm and keeping a steady pace and remaining alert. Her thick braid bounced from shoulder to shoulder as she entered her favorite haunt. Partway through her route, she stopped for a break and sat down on a bench. She pulled a small bottle out of her waist pack and downed several gulps of water before wiping her mouth with her arm. She then fished out a small plastic-wrapped packet and peeled it open to munch on the crackers inside. She rolled up the wrapping into a tight wad when she finished snacking and tossed it into a nearby trash bin. She leaned back on the bench and took a few deep breaths.

"You are possessed of much confidence." Emma blinked and looked to her right, spotting someone sitting on the bench she hadn't quite noticed before…as if he'd just appeared suddenly. "To come here alone, at such an early hour…you brave many dangers…" he said in a hissy voice. What looked like a shabby red hoodie covered most of his face. "Robbery…assault..._abduction_…" Emma wrinkled her nose: what a creepy-sounding kid… Emma scooted away from the young person slightly. Not like she carried any cash on her ever…

The "kid" turned to face her, and Emma's eyes widened when she saw a featureless pitch-black face. Glowing red eyes stared at her. Emma got off the bench and backed away a few steps before turning to walk away swiftly. She glanced over her shoulder and saw the small figure stand up and walk after her. She broke into a jog then into a full dash, and when she glanced behind her again, she saw the figure pursuing her swiftly.

Growing up in Montana, Emma had grown up on those cheesy martial-arts films. She adored them not for the over-the-top action, but for the idea of physical discipline. Before her move to Japan, she'd garnered a reputation in her old school for quite literally running like the wind, racking up district championships for her team season after season. Never before now did all that practice and conditioning help her in a time of dire need. She tore through the park, winding around obstacles and sharp turns to evade the weirdo in the red hoodie. She rounded the corner of the hedge maze and skidded to a stop when she nearly bowled over a young girl.

"Gaag! Sorry! Listen, you might wanna be careful. There's this guy back there and I think he's serious trouble. The street's that way, we can-" Emma panted to catch her breath and looked over her shoulder then looked at the girl with the long black hair and funny dark eyes. The girl looked about ten, but she smiled in a way that gave Emma the heebie-jeebies. Emma's relieved grin turned quickly into a frown when she saw what looked like metal armor covering the girl's chest, arms, and shins, and two handles of some sort poked out through the hair draping down her back. The girl had her hands clasped behind her back and cocked her head to one side.

Emma's shoes scraped against gravel as she scrambled to get away from the strange girl. The girl did not give chase right away, watching Emma flee with an amused smirk. She crouched then broke into a full sprint. Emma felt her heart pounding in her chest and her throat burn from the stress, but she fought exhaustion down and kept running as fast as her body permitted.

Ryo walked down the path accompanied by Whiteblaze. Whiteblaze paused and raised both ears in alarm before Ryo heard it: "HELP! HEEEEEEELP!" a young girl shrieked.

"EMMA!" Ryo cried and took off running towards the sound.

Kylyra's confident smirk had gradually melted into a sneer of frustration, as despite her superior strength, the girl somehow managed to keep well ahead of her. Kylyra skidded to a stop when she realized she'd lost sight of her quarry. She swore under her breath and glanced around in all directions before crouching and springing to the top of a nearby lamppost.

"EMMA!" Hope flared in her heart when she heard the familiar voice.

"MR. SANADA!" Emma shouted and gasped in relief when she saw him running towards her. She blinked several times, not sure what to think when one second she saw him wearing normal clothes, and in the blink of an eye he now wore a strange red-and-black metallic suit. He came to a stop infront of her and looked down the path behind her.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Emma heaved from exhaustion before gathering her wits.

"These two people! Chasing me! One kid in a mask and red jacket, and another girl with black hair…she-" Emma looked over her shoulder then glanced back at the suit Ryo wore. "What's going on?" she stammered. Ryo opened his mouth to speak but scowled and moved to one side.

"Ahh, good morning Ryo of the Wildfire," Emma's heart sank when she heard the voice and Ryo moved to place himself between her and the girl with the long black hair.

"Back off, Kylyra," Ryo warned, clenching his fists.

"So, she _is_ important to you then? Perhaps Bautan's concerns are not without merit." Ryo tensed and looked over his shoulder when he heard the crunch of grass and saw a small figure with black skin and tattered cloth armor land behind them a few feet away. Emma grabbed Ryo's arm and moved close to him when the black figure drew a long blade from a scabbard.

"You won't lay one _finger_ on her!" Ryo held one arm forward, displaying a ring made of gold and onyx. "LION!" The suit he wore changed to red-and-white, and Emma's eyes widened when she thought she saw a lion with red fur and a blazing orange mane appear infront of Ryo. The lion seemed to peel apart, and in a flash Ryo wore a suit of metal armor that made him look like the lion standing upright. A long tufted tail swished behind him, brushing against Emma. Ryo took a step forward, digging the metallic claws into the ground.

Ryo turned around to look at Emma, and she saw his face through a helmet that looked like the gaping maw of a lion. "Here, take this. Use it to defend yourself from these creeps," Ryo said and handed her what looked like a plastic red yo-yo. Emma turned it over in her hand and examined the emblem that looked like four squares arranged in a diamond.

"What do I do with it?" she asked and shrugged. Ryo opened his mouth to speak but paused and let his mouth remain open several moments. His brow furrowed and his eyes flicked from side to side. A strangled hum came from the back of his mouth and he glanced back at her.

"…I actually have no idea…" he admitted and winced.

"I see what you plan, Wildfire. You think you can use this armor to evade my power," Kylyra commented and narrowed her eyes. Ryo raised a shield that looked like a snarling lion's face and scowled. "While I have every confidence in my ability to beat you senseless anyway, I honestly cannot be troubled for the effort. Bautan gave me this to use, and so I will." Kylyra held up a velvet pouch and tugged it open, peeling the cloth away to reveal a quivering round blob with six stubby legs. "Ohhh, a Kyuuban! How darling!" Kylyra cooed and waved her hand over the blob. The stubby tentacles reached up towards her hand, just short of touching. "They _love_ feasting upon magical energy. Here, I think it wants to play!" Kylyra hurled the creature at Ryo.

Ryo tried swatting it away with his shield, but it stuck onto the surface. A web of red light crackled over his body briefly then vanished, along with the blob. Ryo cried out and convulsed, and Emma's eyes widened in horror when Ryo dropped to his knees then collapsed onto his stomach. His eyes fluttered open before closing and he let out a raspy sigh.

"You will be made to _kneel_ before the Emperor!" Emma whirled around and saw the black figure leaping towards her. "Gaah!" it hissed when Whiteblaze tackled it from the side. Emma felt relieved to see the large tiger fighting but remembered Ryo and knelt down beside him.

"Mr. Sanada? Mr. Sanada! Please, wake up! Oh!" Emma scrambled away and stepped back several steps when Kylyra sauntered forward and stooped over the fallen man.

"The sad thing about Kyuuban is they tend to gorge themselves; often fatally. Oh well…at least it died happy." Kylyra leaned back up and fixed her glittering dark eyes on Emma. "As for you…what will it be? Serve the Dynasty," Kylyra pulled a narrow blade from a scabbard on her back and held it infront of her. The sword lengthened in a burst of purple smoke. "Or die."

"How about…RUN LIKE THE DICKENS!" Emma turned heel and bolted.

"Running is not an option for you!" Kylyra shot out a small spike attached to a thin wire from the pommel of her sword. The spike stuck into the ground and Emma tripped on the wire, landing on her face. She rolled onto her back and tried scooting away with heels and palms as Kylyra stepped towards her slowly. Emma's gaze snapped to the side when she heard a growling grunt and saw Whiteblaze collapse onto his side after suffering a blow to the side of the head from the shadow-warrior's sword hilt. Emma scrambled to her feet and glanced at each of them. Her fists clenched from stress, and the hard object in her right hand reminded her of the yo-yo Ryo had given her. Without taking her gaze from her attackers, she slipped her middle finger through the loop of string. Kylyra and the shadow-warrior stalked closer.

"I won't go down without a fight!" Emma unfurled the yo-yo. She'd planned on using it as a weapon to club one of them in the head. She didn't count on it bursting into flames. Emma felt many things in a short period of time; flabbergasted, scared, shocked, frustrated, and confused as instead of dying out, the flames from the yo-yo expanded like a sheet and swept over her. She raised her arms reflexively to shield herself as the fire enveloped her entirely.

"She tries to escape!" the shadow-warrior hissed and slashed into the fire cloud. Instead of cleaving through, the blade clanged against something and would not budge any further. The flames spread and dispersed, revealing the figure within.

Black material with a metallic sheen covered her body from the neck down. Gold bracers encircled her ankles and wrists. Red metal plates covered her shoulders, chest, back, forearms, shins, and waist. The black-and-gold emblem of the four squares arranged in a diamond adorned her chest like a badge. The shadow-warrior's eyes widened in shock and it recoiled.

"Armor!?" Kylyra exclaimed.

"That what this stuff is?!" Emma squawked and pushed the sword away then stepped back, clenching her fists. She flapped one arm at her side warily. The black material felt surprisingly soft and cool against her skin, and metallic scales clinked on the outer layer.

"What are you waiting for? Kill her!" Kylyra shouted. The shadow-warrior lunged, aiming to stab Emma in the chest. Emma crouched, originally planning to hop back, but instead found herself landing quite some distance away, and the sword stuck into the soil instead. The shadow-warrior hissed in frustration and pulled the blade out and prepared to lunge again.

Emma clenched her right fist, but something pushed her fingers apart. She looked down and much to her surprise saw a ball of fire swirling in her palm. The ball contracted and lengthened into a thin rod with sharpened ends. It felt fully solid, yet it seethed with living fire. The shadow-warrior closed the distance, and words came to Emma's thoughts. She hefted the blazing spear with a practiced arm and tilted her body to the side and tensed her upper arm.

"SPEAR SCORCHER!" she hurled it forward, and it plunged through the shadow-warrior's stomach leaving a burning hole in the tattered red fabric and black gooey flesh underneath. The shadow-warrior staggered to a halt and looked down. Its red eyes widened when the fire licking at the edges of the hole began spreading outwards. It waved its arms frantically then choked and gagged as the flames consumed it entirely. The sword dropped to the ground with a thud, and wisps of black smoke hung in the air briefly. The sword disintegrated into black sand.

"An impressive display of power, but unlike that pathetic Kagemousha, I am your worst nightmare made flesh!" Kylyra sprang towards Emma and thrust with one sword. Her eyes widened when Emma tilted her head to the right and reached up with her left hand and grabbed the blade as it passed close to her head. Emma pushed the sword away then punched Kylyra square in the jaw, sending the Dynasty minion reeling. Emma didn't stop there and grabbed Kylyra's long black hair and yanked to the side before tossing Kylyra to the opposite side. While Kylyra tottered about to regain her balance, Emma steadied herself and clenched her fists.

"I don't know any of those fancy moves you do over here, but I know how to fight when I have to!" Emma shouted and relaxed her fist, summoning another flaming shaft.

"You will be made to serve!" Kylyra joined her swords together and began spinning them. She crouched and sprang into the air.

"SPEAR SCORCHER!" Emma launched another fiery projectile at Kylyra before she had a chance to unleash her attack. Kylyra rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the blast. "SPEAR SCORCHER!" Emma hurled a third javelin surprisingly fast. Kylyra tried to lean to the side but the blazing javelin grazed her right side. She cried out and dropped towards the ground, landing on her feet before sinking to one knee. She pushed herself to stand and clamped her hand over the smoldering gash in her armor.

"You will regret that…" Kylyra swatted the flames out and retrieved her weapons. "Huh?" she blinked when she smelled burning metal and looked down at the wound. The flames had reappeared suddenly and licked along the thin armor over her stomach. Kylyra swatted the area repeatedly until she saw not so much as a spark. She withdrew her hand, but just as quickly the fire popped out of seemingly nowhere and began burning through the armor and into the black stone underneath. "Oh! Oh! AHHH!" Kylyra yelped in terror and vanished in a shower of violet petals. Emma had another spear waiting in her hands but dismissed it when she saw Kylyra disappear. The back of her mind told her she would encounter the evil girl again…

Emma turned around when she heard clanking and saw Ryo shuffling towards her. "Okay…obviously…I have a lot of explaining to do," Ryo grimaced weakly.

* * *

"So that really did happen…" Emma muttered. She and Ryo sat on a park bench: Emma still wearing the strange lightweight armor and Ryo in the red-and-black 'sub-armor', as he called it. "I remember seeing news reports about the Toyama Disturbance back in the States…but I was so little at the time, I thought it was just one of those shows they import over and show early in the morning," Emma remarked and shrugged, brushing her braid over her shoulder.

"You mean the ones with the terrible dubbing?" Ryo asked and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh _gosh_, yes!" Emma clamped both hands over her face and leaned to one side. Just then a jogger came along the path and paused infront of them, skipping in place.

"Hey…that that new thermal material for all weather?" he asked.

"Um…yeaahh…" Ryo replied uneasily.

"Neat. I need to get me a suit of that," the jogger commented and continued on his way.

"…Oh wow…did that guy seriously just…" Emma wrinkled her nose.

"I swear, people in this city are _so_ dense…" Ryo muttered and shook his head. Whiteblaze lifted his head up from the ground from where he napped behind the bench. Apparently the jogger had mistaken him for either a rock or a cooler… "Look, I'm really sorry you had to get caught up in all of this. I wish you could go back to living a normal life-"

"I'm not!" Emma piped up. "Sorry that is. About getting attacked. Psh, not like I had a normal life to begin with," she snorted and clasped her hands behind her head. "I was scared at first, but when this stuff got on my body, I dunno, I felt like nothing could beat me! When that evil girl came at me, I just…I just boiled _over_, but I wasn't mad or anything!"

"You know what that means though, right? The Dynasty knows you're a threat, and there are other enemies of ours you might have to fight as well."

"You mean like that thing that almost crashed into the White Towers a couple weeks ago? I was wondering why this lady with purple hair on a flying horse shot it down before it hit."

"Ah, that'd be Danae. You'll probably meet her at some point. Hey, would you like to come to our base? There's quite a few people who'd like to meet you."

"You guys have a base!?" Emma swung her legs up until she straddled the bench seat and she gaped at Ryo in amazement, both eyebrows raised high.

* * *

Instead of introducing her to the other Ronin Warriors, Ryo had left Emma in the company of a human-sized dinosaur who called himself "Meez Pow-fan", while Ryo himself stood with two other Ronin and spoke to a man with long blue hair and strange cloth-strewn armor. Emma sat atop a huge stone table while the small creature waved a horseshoe-shaped instrument over her left arm and studied readouts in an alien language on a thin tablet screen.

Emma leaned to one side and studied the creature's face. He seemed utterly engrossed in his work, so he didn't notice when Emma reached over slowly and gently pinched one of the scaly orange fibers dangling from the tip of his chin. She tugged down slightly. "Ow!" he yelped and winced.

"Sorry!" Emma cringed and withdrew her hand quickly. "Normally I'm not such a spaz-case, it's just…I've never been face-to-face with a real live space alien before!"

Miz Paufan blinked repeatedly several times and flicked his gaze from side to side and up and down. He wrinkled his muzzle and furrowed his scaly brows then shrugged. "Eh, I suppose it's not as offensive as being called 'Outworlder'," he shrugged and returned his attention to his tablet.

"Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to offend you!" Emma ducked her head sheepishly.

"Oh no, it's quite allright. It's just…uh…" Miz let his jaw hang open, displaying his tiny sharpened teeth. He clicked his jaw shut and looked at Emma, grimacing. "I'm actually not used to being apologized to…" he confessed. Emma couldn't help but giggle at his sincerity. She looked out into the immense main cavern where Ryo and the others stood.

"Who's that guy with Ryo? He looks serious…"

"That's Azurotago: Skyblade. Chi Chi Lina, Azuro, Thanged's current Watch-Protector. Think of him as a sort of 'brigadier-general'," Miz replied.

"Unfortunately we lost sight of the fleet once we exited the asteroid belt. We suspect they may be hiding close to one of the gas giants or on one of the moons, but the gravity well of the fifth planet proved too great a hazard for the Pegasi to risk," Azuro admitted.

"Don't sweat it, Azuro. They're on the run; that means they're afraid," Kento shrugged.

"Hey Azuro…what's with the getup?" Ryo asked, cocking his head to one side. Instead of his traditional combat uniform, or even a variant of it, Azuro wore armor that vaguely resembled the sort worn by llaudaun performers, except with metal instead of wood and thicker fabric. Azuro cradled a helmet with a transparent visor and an arching crest like that of a Roman centurion. A thick cavity apparently designed to lock with the lower rim of the helmet sloped down the back past the shoulders. Azuro's long blue hair hung within the cavity. The chest armor looked bulkier, and a thick belt adorned with flickering lights circled the waist.

"Ah, this is armor fashioned by the High Forge. It is designed for deep-space combat. Maintaining an air shield for long periods of time quickly fatigues Pegasi, so riders wear this to conserve the strength of their steeds as well as proof against the cold of space."

While Azuro explained, Cye kept glancing from him to the girl Ryo had brought back to the Roost with him. The back of his mind kept telling him he spotted similarities between the two types, but so much cloth covered the joints and shoulders, Cye couldn't tell for certain.

"In light of the fleet's disappearance, The Watch Rider has expressed a desire to establish a permanent garrison on the Oldworld, though he bid me ask permission from you directly."

"You don't need 'permission', or whatever. Earth's as much your home as it is ours," Ryo stated and waved a hand, shrugging. "The question is; where…"

"Dude, you should totally try Mount Dojo National Park!" Kento spoke up eagerly. "It's pretty remote, and while it's good to take pictures at, no one actually ever goes up _that_ high! There's lots of places in the mountains you can probably set up shop!"

"That sounds excellent. We would be honored if you would accompany us to the site," Kento nodded in acceptance. "We will also require the expertise of the Nobeyls' senior stone-shaper…" Cye's eyes widened upon hearing that and he snapped his gaze from Emma to Azuro.

"Oh, what's this?! _Azuro_, asking help from a _Thunthen_?" Cye snorted. Azuro blushed slightly and he ran a ringer through his hair over his ear, admitting that his feelings about the Ronin's Thunthen allies had mellowed somewhat. Ryo chuckled and shook his head.

"I'm sure Bau will be happy to help, since you asked so nicely. Bak should know where he and the Apprentices are," Ryo said to Kento, who nodded and walked away to find the Thunthen captain. Azuro turned to follow, and Emma-who still sat on the conference table-stared at the man in the regal armor as the cloth swirled around his body.

Azuro paused and looked over his shoulder, his eyes meeting Emma's for the first time. Emma sat up straight, startled by the sudden attention. Azuro had glimpsed her upon his arrival but never paid her any mind until now. Azuro drew his sword, Cloudrazor, and set the tip against the floor, leaning forward in a steep bow. Emma hunched her shoulders and blushed, ducking her head and rubbing her left ear. Azuro sheathed his blade and turned back around to leave.

"I'm finished here. You can go," Miz informed and stood up, offering a hand to help Emma down from the table. Emma gingerly grasped his scaly orange wrist and hopped off the stone slab and walked out to meet Ryo as he approached while Miz walked away into the cavern.

"Wow…so that guy is really from another planet?" Emma asked cautiously.

"Yup. He's the brother of the woman you saw near your home," Ryo replied.

"Whoa…and here I felt bad about being from another _country_…" Emma whispered.

"These are the sorts of diplomatic interactions you'll need to get used to as a Ronin Leader."

"Wait-what? I'm supposed to be a leader?" Emma blinked, startled. Ryo shrugged.

"Well…yeah…I think traditionally Ronin Leaders have been Wildfires. I think the first guy to do it before me started out as a Wildfire," Ryo commented.

"I think it has to do with the burden of responsibility helping to balance out a Wildfire's hot-headedness," Cye rested his left elbow on Ryo's right shoulder and jabbed him in the ribs with his right knuckle. Ryo laughed and shook his head. Emma gazed about the main cavern.

"So…there's others…like me, right?" she pointed at the Wildfire emblem on her chest.

"Yup. Nine more yo-yos, nine more kids to find. Hopefully we find them before the Dynasty, now that they've seen what you can do," Ryo said, sounding concerned.

"Well you won't have to worry about me. I'm more lukewarm-headed than anything," Emma placed her hands on the back of her head and shrugged, earning laughs from Ryo and Cye.

"How strange…" Bak Thraplek muttered to himself as he stood at the juncture of the residential hall and the main cavern while he watched the three talking between each other. "That the answer to the riddle of the objects be found in one so young…"

"Captain?" Bak turned his rectangular head to the side and looked down at the young Khamen as he approached meekly. "I finished the results of the initial test and…well...you should take a look at this…" Miz Paufan handed him the tablet screen. Bak took it in one hand and held it up to examine the readout. Miz frowned in worry when he noticed how Bak's brow furrowed and his pupils contracted. The nostrils flared abruptly.

"Where…" Bak drawled in a low tone. "Have our kinsmen been sent lately?"

"Peirolyth, from what I gathered. To labor under the auspices of the Lady of Flames…" Miz replied. Bak stared at the tablet for a few more seconds before handing it back to Miz.

"Delete this," he said quietly.

"Are-Are you sure?" Miz asked in a hushed stammer. "Shouldn't we tell them?"

"No! No, no we cannot," Bak hissed in reply and shook his head. He leaned close slightly. "I sense _Her_ hand in this…I don't think She'd appreciate it if we tipped it for Her," he whispered. Miz stared up at him wide-eyed, almost terrified. He nodded shakily.

"…Ootonim…" he nodded and glanced down at the tablet.

If anyone had been close enough to read, they would've seen the Highscript writing underlining two identical diagrams. Each diagram showed a collection of orbs connected with lines; molecular compositions. If anyone had been able to _understand_ Highscript, they would've read "rdgudaraaz"; Deres' Metal. Better known as _dererium_. Miz tapped the screen with a claw, and the screen went dark with a white bleep.


	3. Hardrock

Hardrock

By Mardrena

"ARMOR OF WILDFIRE! TAO JIN!" Emma Coburn swept her hand through the air then clasped her hands together and splayed her fingers infront of her. The echo and hum of the main cavern remained undisturbed. "Nothing happened," she said and turned to face Ryo.

"Yeah, we suspected as much. These new armors share the same abilities as ours, but they're not as powerful. It might just be that you don't have a battle armor. You don't seem to have a spiritual attribute like I do, either," Ryo took a step closer and shrugged.

"What's that?" Emma asked and cocked her head to the side.

"Well…you see, the original Nine Armors were imbued with attributes representing aspects of humanity: Virtue, Justice, Wisdom, Life, Trust, Loyalty, Serenity, Obedience, and Piety. The Armor of Typhoon was created much later and given the spirit of Hope. They helped balance out against the evil power of Talpa, who created the original Armor. Whoever made these Armors, I guess they designed them to be used specifically by kids. When you fought Kylyra, you used your special ability several times, right? Did you feel exhausted at all?"

"Uh uh," Emma said and shook her head.

"So your armor isn't strong enough to level a city block, but you shouldn't have to. Why don't you try practicing using your special ability multiple times in a row?"

"Okay. SPEAR SCOR-" Emma turned around and raised her hand, intending to hurl a flaming javelin at the wall. She moved her arm back in preparation.

"No! NoNoNoNo! Wait! Just a second…" Ryo squawked hastily and waved his hands. He turned around and searched for someone. "Sul! Hey! Sul!" Ryo waved at the gray-green bearded Thunthen Noble named Sul Phathrax. "You got some of those practice dummies available?"

"You want one of the new heat-resistant models?" Sul hollered back.

"Yeah, sure! Why not?" Emma watched with quiet awe as the tall spike-shelled alien walked over carrying a human-shaped dummy made of translucent green material and covered with shiny glazed tiles. She'd met Miz Paufan the day before, and caught glimpse of other, bigger aliens as well as a skinnier one who looked like a female.

Sul set the dummy down near the wall and nodded at Ryo before turning to leave. He paused and glanced at Emma, who cringed meekly. Sul looked scary with his hook-shaped horns, long claws, and club-tipped tail, but his eyes looked understanding and friendly. He turned his upper body to the side and bowed, displaying his shell. Emma blushed and managed an awkward curtsey in reply. Sul nodded again before leaving.

"Okay, just wail at it until you start getting tired," Ryo said and waved at the dummy.

"Okie doke!" Emma chirped and wound up with one arm. "SPEAR SCORCHER!" While she hurled attack after attack at the dummy, Ryo walked towards the Wall Boulder.

"So, what'd you all think?" he asked the other younger Ronin standing near the boulder.

"Normally I'd strongly object to letting a kid fight the Dynasty, but she went toe-to-toe with Kylyra and walked away without so much as a scratch," Cye commented.

"She doesn't seem to be affected by that evil power Kylyra uses, either. In fact, from what you described, she got _stronger_ when fighting her," Sage added.

"So, what do you figure we should call them, anyway? These kid Ronin? Since their armors aren't as strong as ours," Kento asked.

"We could call them 'Lesser Ronin'," Rowen suggested.

"Ehhh…that sounds so _demeaning_," Sage argued and scratched the back of his head.

"Well these are minor Armors…what about 'Minor Ronin'?" Kento recommended.

"Oh what, are they trying to sneak into an R-Rated movie?!" Tanya snorted. Cye averted his gaze and tapped his chin, pondering. He glanced up at the ceiling then to the side.

"What about…'Neo Ronin'?" he put forth.

"Yeaahh…that could work. Nice little homage, being Latin for 'new'," Rowen grinned.

"Hey Emma! What do you think about being called a 'Neo Ronin'?" Ryo hollered.

"Oh that sounds awesome!" Emma called back before resuming her practice.

"Man, she's still going at it…" Ryo muttered.

"I suppose because they lack a battle armor they got a larger pool of energy to work with. Smaller attacks don't put as much strain on the body as our ultimate moves," Sage theorized.

"Well she _is_ a kid. Maybe it's just easier for her," Tanya shrugged. "Kids look at things differently than adults. They have their own way of handling problems."

"Imagine what'll happen once the rest of them are gathered. However these Neo Armors got here, it goes a long way to tipping the scales back in our favor against the Dynasty," Rowen said.

"I'm gonna go ahead and head on out. I gotta meet up with my contact and see about finding the next Neo Ronin," Kento said and turned to leave.

"You mean you need to go talk to Yulie, right?" Cye teased.

"I have to keep my informants confidential," Kento said matter-of-factly and sniffed. Ryo snorted and rolled his eyes and Rowen snickered and shook his head.

* * *

"A full-scale assault would be inadvisable at this point. The Ronin Warriors are clearly making efforts to recruit children to their cause and plan on bestowing them with armors possessing formidable powers," Kylyra stated as she stood before the throne.

"Hrm…I will accept your counsel in this, Kylyra, as you have had first-hand experience," Talpa rumbled. Bautan and the Brothers stood at attention behind Kylyra. Bautan had to fight from rolling his eyes at how Kylyra seemed to take the credit for something _he_ had warned about beforehand. "Bautan!" He went rigid when he heard his name called. "You will deploy whatever resources you deem fit into addressing this threat. If there are to be more of these warrior-children, find them before the Ronin bring them into their fold. General," Duratir thumped a fist over his chest when Talpa spoke to him. "You will provide Bautan and Kylyra with however many troops they require for their missions. Admiral," Duratin nodded in acknowledgement. "You will do the same. I will not suffer further opposition from the Ronin, _or_ their meddling Outworlder allies! If these children will not serve me, they will die!"

"As you command, Emperor Talpa," Bautan said grandly and bowed. He turned to leave.

"Bautan," Bautan looked over his shoulder when he heard Admiral Duratin's whisper. "Have you had any luck locating Lady Black Hawk?" he asked softly as he followed Bautan out into the hall. Bautan drooped his shoulders and rolled his eyes, groaning in disgust.

"No. The Dragonmen have taken her out of the Realm and beyond any possible reach. Tell me, why all of this heart-felt concern for _her_? She was merely a mortal," Bautan sniffed.

"Because," Duratin said as he walked past Bautan then looked over his shoulder. "We were once mortals ourselves." Bautan wrinkled his nose at that statement then shrugged and continued on his way to his laboratory. He set up an ornate brazier and tossed fuel into the green flames.

"The Guardian was clever in establishing her wards, but they do not extend beneath the Ronin's dwelling. Now, show me what secrets they hide…" Bautan commanded and peered into the flames. The fire displayed a vast cavern with signs of skillful construction along the floor and ceiling. Several chambers dotted one wall and a long hallway led to more chambers deep in the rock. "Ahh…so _these_ are the Ronin's Dragonmen allies…" Bautan grinned in satisfaction as he spied upon a small creature with a smooth shell sitting at a chair next to a desk covered in glowing lights. A taller creature with a spiked shell and a blue beard stood behind him.

"_As you can see here, the style is consistent with designs we've observed in previous examples of fabrics used. Unlike the Ronin's primary layers, which employ thin interlocking plates, or the more advanced version that uses a composite chain-mesh, these 'Neo Armors' make use of a highly durable breathable fabric with tiny reflective scales sewn into the outer layer,_" the small creature pointed at images on a large screen. "_This affords the wearer with increased comfort and mobility at the cost of defense, but the scales compensate by reflecting energy-based attacks and deflecting slashing or stabbing melee-"_ The little creature blinked and went rigid in his chair. "_Captain! I've just detected an intrusion attempt in our network_!"

"_From where?"_ The blue-bearded Dragonman demanded. Bautan continued to observe.

"_Unknown, but whoever it is, they're being pretty brazen about it. It's as if they're just peeking in unobstructed,_" the little creature frowned and tapped various lights.

"_Then_ ob_struct them_!" Bautan blinked, confused by the Dragonmen's babble.

"_Already on it, Captain. I've managed to isolate the signal. Terminating connection…Now_!" The little creature poked at a light firmly.

Without warning the image displayed by the flames changed to a white field with writing that read "The page you requested cannot be displayed. We apologize for the inconvenience. A team of specially-trained monkeys has been dispatched to try and fix the problem…"

"WHAAAAT?!" Bautan bellowed and clenched his fists, almost knocking over the brazier.

Back in the Roost, Bak Thraplek thumped Miz Paufan's smooth shell heartily. "Well _done_ Miz! You are worth twice your weight in phergon!" he crowed.

"Thanks…" Miz muttered uneasily, blinking several times.

"Con_FOUND_ these blasted Outworlders!" Bautan seethed. "Grrr! It matters not! There are more ways to skin a Nether Tiger! Show me any Ronin within the mortal city!"

* * *

"So, lemme get this straight; a set of magical mcguffins pops out of nowhere in the Roost, and now you're looking for kids to use them?" Yulie Yamano raised an eyebrow skeptically. He slouched against the inner brick wall of the fence surrounding his school campus while Kento leaned against the outer wall, playing the ever-vigilant older brother type.

"That's about the gist of it. What the heck's a mcguffin, anyway?"

"It's a word they use in Social Media Studies. Basically it's a thing you don't know much about, but it's still really important to everyone," Yulie replied.

"Well, we know they summon pretty awesome sets of Armor. Not nearly as powerful as ours, but the girl Ryo found yesterday managed to beat the snot out of Talpa's new Tyrant's Pet."

"How can you be sure you'll find another kid here?"

"I can't. But it doesn't hurt to check. Ryo said it made a sound when Emma was close by, so maybe the one I have will react the same way for someone else. Basically we're looking for a kid who seems pretty independent, but also out of place," Kento explained. Yulie made a face.

"Wow…can you be any _more_ broad?" he grimaced. Kento shrugged helplessly. "Well, lucky for you I can think of a kid who'd fit the bill." Yulie pointed to the front steps to the main school building. "Conan Bauer. He's fairly new here, but he's already built up a reputation of being the kind of kid you _don't_ want to mess with."

The boy Yulie indicated slouched against one of the columns near the stairs and had his beefy arms folded over his chest. A uniform that looked a couple sizes too small stretched tight over a barrel-shaped torso and locks of unkempt dark blonde hair curled about his neck and ears. Shaggy bangs dangled over the wire-frame glasses and furrowed eyebrows. His mouth seemed to be set in a perpetual frown, and his chin looked like it easily took up a third of his face.

"His mom enrolled him here hoping our school system would straighten him out," Yulie went on to explain as another student coming down the steps while chatting to someone else had the misfortune of grazing his elbow against Conan, who promptly seized him by his sleeve and brandished his fist in the student's face until he apologized profusely and backed away, leaving Conan to his personal corner of the stairs. "As you can see, it hasn't exactly worked."

"…You sure? I mean…okay, I know how the others poke fun at me because of my cheeks and all, but he's ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff fffffffffffffffff-" Kento pressed his lower teeth against his upper lip and let the syllable hang on his breath when he saw Yulie glance at him and raise an eyebrow. "Ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff- well he doesn't look like Ronin material, is what I'm trying to say," Kento recovered hastily.

"There's a surefire way to find out. Hand me the mcguffin?" Yulie stuck his hand through the fence bars. Kento cautiously placed the yo-yo with the Hardrock symbol into Yulie's palm. Yulie held it out towards Conan. The yo-yo produced a soft orange glow and began humming. Yulie moved the yo-yo to the side and pointed it at another student. The yo-yo dimmed and went silent. Yulie moved it to the other side and the yo-yo flickered briefly when passing Conan but quickly fell silent once more. Yulie pointed it back at Conan and the glow and hum remained consistent. Yulie handed the yo-yo back to Kento, who accepted it reluctantly.

"Well…you may be right…I of all people should know you can't judge a book by its cover, even if it is a ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff-" Kento noticed the way Yulie glanced at him and scowled slightly. "Ffffffffffffffff-thick cover."

"Good save," Yulie commented. He straightened when a voice over the PA system summoned students to class. He stooped down and gathered his book bag and prepared to leave.

"Hey, you think you can talk to Conan some? See if you can get to know him?" Kento asked.

"Ehhh…okay…" Yulie answered reluctantly. "But you gotta come get me if I end up getting stuffed in a locker," he stated and glanced back at Kento.

"Oh come on. Who _does_ that these days," Kento scoffed and rolled his eyes.

* * *

Whisker padded along the linoleum floor with her nose barely touching the surface. Her nostrils flared and contracted and her actual whiskers twitched while she examined scents. She slowly moved towards a door marked as a utility closet and sniffed at the vent in the wood. Her ears moved forward and she reached up and placed one paw against the door, rubbing down multiple times and voicing a soft growl, looking behind her.

Kento had to wait until after hours when the campus emptied of students and faculty before bringing the tigress in to search the premises. He gripped the doorknob but it refused to budge. He braced his free palm against the wall and pulled back hard enough to wrench the door off its hinges. Inside he and Whisker found Yulie entangled in a pile of brooms, mops, and tools.

"Told you so," Yulie croaked irritably.

"So the kid's got trust issues," Kento commented as he pried Yulie loose from the closet. Yulie dusted himself off and combed his hair with his fingers. "You learn anything about him?"

"They're from somewhere in Texas. Apparently his dad used to work offshore until he passed away a couple years ago in a work accident, so now he lives with his mom. He really doesn't have any friends here cuz he gets into lots of fights."

"Ehh…I know the Neo Armors don't have attributes like ours, but I'm not sure a bully would be a good candidate for a Neo Ronin…" Kento grimaced and rubbed his neck.

"Well…he's not actually a bully. He's more like a…bully's bully…if that makes any sense. See, there's this group of kids that like to single out up-and-coming students during exam periods. They go after students that look like they can perform better on tests and sorta…'talk' to them…try to put them down and rattle their nerves." Kento bristled at that notion. He never had to deal with anything like _that_ in school. "But because they don't actually cause injuries, they never really get in trouble, so they make sure they're the ones with the best grades all the time.

"Conan found out about them the hard way, and he fought _back_ the hard way. Whenever he sees or finds out about them picking on another student, he goes all out on them, but because he's the one who starts the fights, he's always the one getting in trouble," Yulie elaborated.

"He takes the blame upon himself…" Kento whispered and gazed at the floor.

"The only reason they haven't gotten me is because I know I can always sic a Pegasi and a tiger cub on them." Kento glanced at Yulie upon hearing that remark and raised an eyebrow, frowning. "Not that I _would_!" Yulie said hastily and waved both hands. "But knowing Whisker and Wind have my back keeps me strong. You wanna know the messed up part? Conan's actually pretty high ranking. If he didn't get in so much trouble, he'd make honors."

"Don't suppose you know where he lives, do you?" Kento asked.

"Uh uh. The school never makes that information public…but…I might know someone who does…" Yulie glanced down the hall. Kento followed his gaze and spotted Whisker, who at some point, had padded away several feet. She made several sweeps of the floor with her nose after each step and looked over her shoulder at the two, twitching her tail expectantly.

* * *

Conan Bauer stooped over the picnic table in the back yard and surveyed the landscape he'd set up atop the table. On one end the Order of the Silver Break stood poised to attack, led by a Paladin of the Dawn. On the other loomed the Legion of Sundering, commanded by a fearsome Winged Overlord. Each side had various troops and siege equipment prepared, and strategic fortifications dotted the battlefield. Conan used a small tape measure to make sure everything looked just so before moving over to the Legion's side and cracking his knuckles to begin.

Being that he lacked any local friends to play with, he would serve as his own opponent. He placed out the skill cards along the edges of the table and rolled the dice to determine first moves. The Order moved first, dispatching a team of archers to hammer his right flank, taking out a squad of dusk gnolls. Conan scowled and set a meaty fist against his chin, pondering his next move. He noticed a cluster of battlemages situated precariously on a crumbling tower: A perfect target for his ballistae. Each move he pictured in his mind: his gnolls' gurgling deaths from arrow shafts protruding from their chests and throats, the battlemages screaming as they fell to their deaths along with the remains of the shattered tower.

The next turn saw his opponent dispatch an assassin to take out his necromancers. He retaliated by sending acid wyverns to launch flesh-searing spit at his opponent's clerics. He grinned with glee as he imagined robed old men clawing at their faces as their flesh peeled away from their bones. The Paladin used his special ability to summon a pack of celestial avengers and bolster his remaining troops. The Winged Overlord responded by summoning packs of merciless skeletons to intercept a charge by infantry. It looked as if the skeletons would prevail until a sudden volley from catapults smashed them to splinters, and another volley crippled his crossbow drakemen. Conan scowled in frustration, and he imagined the Overlord bellowing in rage.

He had to think, however. He assessed his remaining forces and available skills. His front line lay in shambles with only a scant few backup troops to protect the Winged Overlord, but he could use a soul ward to harvest his fallen troops and use them to absorb damage. He imagined the Winged Overlord tromping forward, goading the Paladin of the Dawn to meet him head on. The Paladin refused to rise to the bait and sent in infantry backed up by aethermancers. They charged forth valiantly only to fall prey to a cleverly hidden field of caltrops and snares, making them easy pickings for a flight of basalt gargoyles. The Overlord cackled deeply.

The Paladin of the Dawn called forth several blessings then strode forth to meet the Winged Overlord head on. He channeled all his power into a mighty blow and prepared to strike. Conan glanced at the skill card and measured the potential damage against the Overlord's hit points bolstered by the soul ward. Just before the blow landed, the Winged Overlord folded his wings infront of himself and used the souls of his fallen troops to absorb just enough damage to survive the otherwise fatal strike. The Paladin sank to his knees, utterly spent and forsaken by his patron deity. The Winged Overlord raised one cloven hoof and cackled maniacally before bringing it down on the Paladin of the Dawn's helmet, crushing his skull like a soda can.

Conan grinned with satisfaction before frowning sullenly. He sorely wished he had someone else to test his skills against in a real match, but more than likely they'd give up out of frustration from being curb-stomped by his superior skills or accuse him of being overpowered. He picked up the Winged Overlord and examined his favorite unit. He always pictured himself as the Overlord, leading his forces to victory over the goodie-two-shoes Order.

"You crave power. You dream of domination. This is good." Conan blinked when he heard the voice and looked up to the opposite end of the table. He saw a gaunt man with bluish skin and funny-looking robes and an even funnier-looking hat. "Such violent brilliance, such dark aspirations are ill-suited to mortal limitations. You are ostracized, neglected by your peers. Your life is empty of reward. Clearly the mortals are unworthy of such genius.

"Join us, boy. My master will be more than ready to give you the power you desire. You will find purpose and gratification among our ranks. It is your destiny to crush those who have wronged you beneath your heel. Why merely fantasize of conquest, when you can _achieve_ it in reality?" Conan glanced from the weird-looking man to the Winged Overlord he held in his hand. "You cannot deny your true nature. There is a dark spot in your heart..."

"What!?" Conan squawked and dropped the miniature on the grass. "You mean I have cancer?! MOM! MOOOOM! THIS GUY SAYS I HAVE CANCER!" Conan wailed and pelted back inside the house hysterically. "I NEED TO SEE THE DOCTOR RIGHT AWAY!"

"WHAT?! WHAAT!?" a woman screamed from the inside. Bautan remained floating there in the yard blinking in confusion. He heard sounds he identified with the slamming of a door followed by the bang of a car door and the screeching of tires.

"…That…did not go as I intended…" Bautan muttered and blinked some more.

* * *

"Well _that_'s a doctor bill I could've done without…" Jessica Bauer grumbled from behind the steering wheel of her truck. "You happy now? The doc said you're cancer-free. What on earth got into you to get you all in a fuss? You scared the livin' daylights outta me!"

"Sorry, Mom. It's just…this guy in the yard…he told me I have a 'dark spot in my heart'," Conan replied sheepishly and buried his shoulder against the seatbelt, folding his arms over his chest. He pushed his glasses up with his index finger and pouted.

"Whaaat?" Jessica rolled her eyes and smirked. "You don't got a 'dark spot' in your heart. The only 'dark spot' you got is on your academic record. You need to stop using your fists to solve problems and start using that noggin of yours more," Jessica said and reached out with her right hand and poked Conan in the side of his head. Conan giggled softly and Jessica put her hand back on the steering wheel. "You're too bright to be getting in so much trouble. You could at least _try_ to make _a_ friend in school." Conan scowled sullenly and set his jaw.

"They always call me names, or they ask funny questions about me. I don't like people that ask funny questions. This one kid ticked me off today, but I took care of him…"

"What? Oh my God…Conan, am I going to have to come in again? I can't keep doing this and missing days out of my schedule," Jessica moaned and glanced at him.

"Why are we even here? We shouldn't even be here," Conan shouted.

"You know good and well we can't afford to pick up and move," Jessica replied sadly.

"Yeah, because the company is run by a bunch of cheapskates," Conan growled. Jessica sighed and kept her gaze on the road ahead, glancing at her son periodically.

"I miss your Dad too…we were dealt a bad hand, but we just gotta play it out. Maybe it isn't so much you making friends with the right people, maybe it's making the right friends with good people. You can be a sweet boy when you want. I'm sure you'll find some kids that are right for you. Look, I know you really want to go to that game shop in town, but I don't like you traveling by yourself, even on the bus. I can try and work something in before my shift starts and take you there so you can poke around. Who knows, you might run into some fellow-LORD ALMIGHTY!" Jessica shrieked and stomped down hard on the brake. Conan leaned forward but the seatbelt kept his chubby frame in the seat. The two of them looked ahead at the road.

A short black figure clothed in tattered orange rags stood in the middle of the road several feet infront of the truck. Glowing red eyes peered out of the shadowed face at them. Jessica muttered something under her breath and rolled down the driver's side window.

"Ey! You there! Get off the road!" she leaned out of the window and hollered. The person in the orange rags said nothing. "You hard of hearing, son? I said move outta the way!" Still no response. Conan pressed his chin against his chest, settling down against the seat while his mother stepped out of the truck and shut the door behind her. Something about the way the person looked gave him the creeps. "I can call an ambulance if you need, just say so."

"…Your son is coming with us…" the black figure with the glowing eyes hissed.

"Ex_CUSE_ me!?" Jessica raised both eyebrows and jerked her head back slightly. "Listen kid, I don't know what kind of prank you think you're pulling," Jessica snarled and strode towards the figure. "But unless you want me to tan your hide fast enough to make a jacket, I suggest you get on out of here. _NO_ one talks to me or my son like that, and I don't take kindly to-" Jessica quickly closed the distance and clenched both fists.

Conan sat bolt upright in his seat when he saw a flash of metal. He heard his mother's faint grunt of surprise and saw her jerk and topple backwards limply. Drops of blood flew to either side. Her head thumped against the pavement. "MOM! MOM!" Conan unbuckled his seatbelt and scrambled out of the truck and ran over to his mother and knelt beside her. A bloody gouge ran from her stomach to just under her collarbone and her eyes looked blank with shock. He couldn't hear her breathing or see a single eyelid flutter. Conan glanced wide-eyed at the figure and saw a sword grasped in one hand. Blood dripped from the tip.

"No need to waste tears on her, boy," the black-skinned person hissed and narrowed its glowing red eyes. "She was but an obstacle to your true destiny. Abandon your petty mortal desires and embrace the darkness you were meant to wield…" Conan stared at the shadowy being numbly, glancing from the blood-stained blade to his mother's bleeding chest. He opened and closed his mouth, struggling for words, but only whimpers escaped his lips.

"YOU HAVE NO CHOICE, BOY! YOU WILL SERVE US OR YOU WILL DIE!" the shadowy being pointed its blade at him. Conan heard a crackling hiss and the glowing red eyes widened in shock. The shadowy being sprang back barely in time to avoid something that struck the pavement with shuddering force, spraying asphalt in all directions. Conan leaned over his mother's prone body to shield her. He squeezed his eyes shut in dread.

He heard the heavy clank of metal and opened his eyes a crack at first then gaped in shock upon seeing powerful thick legs ending in what looked like cloven metal hooves. Thick horns curled over wide shoulders, and for a few moments, Conan actually believed the Winged Overlord had come to rescue him. The tall bulky figure turned to the side to look at him, and Conan saw a round face peering out from behind the visor of a helmet that looked like a ram's head. The armored man held out tossed something at Conan, who barely caught it in one hand.

"This belongs to you. Use it to dish out some serious payback on these Dynasty Dweebs." Conan looked down the orange yo-yo with a black-and-gold symbol like a helmet with one horn longer than the other. He blinked dumbly and looked back up at the man, confused. "Use it like you would a regular yo-yo. Trust me, kiddo. Once you get suited up, these guys will regret messing with you," the man grinned and knelt down and lifted up Jessica's limp body by her shoulders. Conan helped grab her ankles and the two carried her over close to the truck. They set her down gently then stood up to face the shadowy attacker. "Allright, one pureed bad guy coming right up!" the man crowed and smacked the shaft of a mace shaped like a ram's head into his palm. Conan fumbled to fit his thick finger through the loop of the yo-yo.

A robed figure hovered in the air far above the scene. "Not this time, Kento of Hardrock…" Bautan muttered and shook open his voluminous sleeve. He beckoned with a finger and a Kyuuban floated out from the folds. Bautan raised his arm then lashed it down, pointing at Kento's back, and the Kyuuban rushed forward, squealing in glee. Conan frowned when he spotted something out the corner of his eye and looked over his shoulder.

"MISTER! LOOK OUT!" he cried. Kento turned around too late to evade the Kyuuban before it latched onto his back between his shoulders. He cried out in pain as the vile Nether parasite drained all his power. Conan could only watch in horror as the armored man who'd rescued him collapsed to the pavement on his side. His fingers twitched feebly.

"Oh wow…that thing took everything from me…I can't even tra…tra…trans…fooohhh.." Kento sighed before losing consciousness.

"I told you your destiny lies with the Dynasty." Conan looked up and saw the same funny-looking man he'd seen earlier, only the man floated in the air high above the ground. "You have no need for that item anymore…give it to me," Bautan smiled and descended towards Conan slowly, his palm outstretched. Conan clutched the yo-yo in his beefy hands and backed away from Bautan and the approaching orange-clothed warrior. "Do not try to resist…"

Conan kept backing away so much, he didn't realize he'd reached the guardrail until his thighs bumped against it and his body tilted backwards. He windmilled his arms helplessly, but his weight had already disrupted his balance. Bautan chuckled evilly as Conan toppled over and began tumbling down the slope. The yo-yo slipped from his grasp and unwound until it reached the full extent of the string. Conan grunted in protest as he rolled over the ground.

Dirt flew up in waves and seemed to wrap around him as he rolled and rolled. The dirt became so thick, it concealed him completely. The cloud continued heading towards a large rock protruding from the slope. Just as the cloud neared the rock, a hand covered in black material reached out and braced against it. The cloud dispersed and Conan grimaced from the effort of deflecting his body away from the rock before his head or neck collided with it. His body sailed over the rock and he landed on the slope further down, tumbling some more. He yelled in determination and dug his fingers into the ground, sliding sideways then swinging around until he faced up the slope. Eventually he skidded to a stop and dug his toes into the soil.

He didn't stop to think about how he managed to pull off such a recovery, or how the yo-yo had vanished out of his grip and turned into bold orange armor with black metallic fabric covering the rest of his body. He thought only of his mother, and the floating blue-skinned creep and his toady who'd hurt her. "RAAAAARRG!" Conan gathered himself up for a pounce and without thought or knowing how, sprang up over half the distance he'd fallen. He grabbed the ground and pulled himself up again, bounding back up past the guardrail.

Bautan's eyes widened in shock when the boy landed on the pavement clad black-and-orange armor from the neck down, and looking quite angry. Conan sank to one knee and braced his knuckles against the pavement. He pushed himself up to stand and squared his broad shoulders. His face contorted in fury and he clenched his fists.

"DIE BOY!" the Kagemousha shrieked and charged towards Conan. Conan wanted the Kagemousha to go away, to suffer for what it did to his mom. He raised his arms and threw them wide before drawing them close, as if wrapping around something.

"EARTH ENGULF!" he bellowed. Bautan watched in horror as the ground beneath his Kagemousha opened up in a gaping pit. The Kagemousha dropped inside and struggled to climb out, but the pit contracted just as quickly, swallowing the Kagemousha entirely. Bautan heard a wet crunch followed by a splat as the pit narrowed to a fist-sized hole. It ejected a geyser of wet black sand that splattered all over the surrounding pavement before sealing up entirely. "Ewww! _I_ did _that_!?" Conan squawked and recoiled from the sight.

"You defeated the minion, but now you face the master! Your strength is no match for my sorcery, boy!" Bautan declared and raised his arms and spread his fingers. Conan tensed when he saw black bolts crackling around the evil sorcerer's hands. "You will pay for your insolen-"

A metallic tube with a wide mouth suddenly impaled Bautan from behind, piercing his shoulder. Bautan cried out and reached up towards the tube with a shaking hand. "W-what!? H-how?! This f-f-feeling…is this…p-p-pain?" he croaked. "A-Admiral…g-get…h-him," he gurgled before vanishing in a flash of violet. A tire iron clattered to the pavement.

"That's…what you get…for messing with my boy…" Jessica Bauer wheezed from where she clutched onto the open tailgate for support.

"MOM!" Conan cried and ran over to his mother's side to catch her as she slid towards the pavement. "Mom, you're bleeding!" Conan whimpered.

"Eh…I've been through worse…believe me…*_cough_**_cough_*!" Jessica croaked.

"Oh wow, that looks pretty bad…" Conan looked over his shoulder and saw the Ram-armored man kneel down beside him. "I can port us to the Roost, just gimmie a sec." Kento stood up and dismissed his Ram AnimArmor. "ARMOR OF HARDROCK! TAO GI!" Conan watched in surprise as the man emerged from a pillar of swirling rock clad in orange-and-silver armor. He started to crouch but looked up in alarm when half a dozen wooden vessels materialized in the sky overhead. Conan kept one arm wrapped around his mother's shoulders and raised the other, clenching his fist. Kento gripped his bo tightly, but his strength had yet to return. Soldiers aboard the ships aimed nocked arrows and prepared to hurl spears.

A narrow metallic object struck one of the barges, shattering it into kindling and sending the Dynasty Droids onboard spilling to the ground. "Kento! Get them to safety!" Conan Bauer blinked in disbelief when he thought he recognized the nosy kid, Yulie Yamano-the same kid he'd stuffed in a utility closet earlier that day-wearing embossed white leather armor and sitting astride a winged white metal horse. "I'll mop up here," Yulie stated and wheeled White Wind around to tackle the other oncoming ships. White Wind shrieked in defiance and fired more missiles, taking down two more barges. Kento nodded and placed a hand on Jessica's shoulder.

"Hold on tight. We'll take care of ya," he said and smiled reassuringly. Conan gingerly grabbed the man's wrist and kept his other hand around his mother's arm. He cringed and closed his eyes when bright rings of orange light swept down around them.

* * *

Conan didn't know what to think as he stared up at the ceiling of a cavern the size of a football stadium. He turned around in place and looked all around the massive chamber, stunned speechless. He glanced down and studied the huge onyx-and-gold plate set into the floor. Something caused the ground to shudder ever so slightly and he looked over his shoulder. He yelped and crouched down on the floor and covered his head with his arms as a huge bipedal dragon three times taller than he stomped in his direction. He kept his eyes squeezed shut and heard the thing walk over him without so much as touching him, and he dared open his eye a crack in time to flinch when a spiked tail club came close to his face.

Koi Udsarrin continued walking, oblivious to having walked over anyone. Rgn Chorrez blinked when he thought he heard something and looked to either side before tilting his head up and looking over his shell rim. He spotted a young boy with dark blonde hair wearing glasses and orange armor struggling to stand up off the floor. Rgn had never seen him before and looked puzzled. Conan looked equally confused and readjusted his glasses on his face.

"Hi there!" Conan blinked and turned around when he heard a girl's voice. "You must be the newest Neo Ronin! Hi, I'm Emma! Nice to meet you!" Emma Coburn skipped over and stopped infront of Conan then thrust her hand forward in greetings. She wore a suit that looked identical to the one covering his body, only it had red metal plates instead of orange. Conan Bauer glanced from the outstretched hand to the girl's face then back and forth again dumbly. Emma's cheerful smile slowly turned into a frown and she began fidgeting uncomfortably. "It's okay," she said and withdrew her hand. "I'm used to getting the silent treatment…"

"Huh? No, it's not that! It's just-look, I have _no_ idea what's going on here. Where am I? What's this stuff on my body and how do I get out of these platinum pajamas?" Conan sputtered and grabbed the black metal-coated fabric over his side and tugged at it.

"Oh, it took me awhile to figure that out. Here, lemme show you." Emma reached up and placed her fingertips over the symbol on her chest. "What you do is take this, turn it like this…" Emma turned the symbol counter-clockwise with her fingertips and the suit flashed and receded into the symbol. Emma now stood before him in a white t-shirt and blue jogging pants and held a red yo-yo with a black-and-gold symbol in her palm. "Presto. Easy as pie," she grinned and pocketed the yo-yo. Conan cautiously followed her example and looked relieved to see the suit vanish from his body, leaving him in his clothes from home.

"But I still don't get it? Who was that creepy guy that attacked me, and why? What's all this about? What's this have to do with me?" Conan asked and looked to the side then at Emma.

"You're what we call a Neo Ronin," Conan turned around and saw the same man who'd helped him earlier. "Chosen by fate to protect the innocent, fight the forces of evil, that sorta thing." Kento walked over to stand next to Conan and set his elbow on the boy's shoulder. "_You_ happen to be the Neo Ronin of Hardrock, which means you get to be my sidekick," he said with a grin. Conan grimaced, looking none-too-thrilled with the notion.

"Ehhh, I don't think they're supposed to work that way, Kento." Conan saw a man with light brown hair and black-and-light blue armor walk towards them. "I think they're supposed to operate independently from us," Cye commented. Conan and Kento stared at him blinking for several moments before looking at each other. Kento smiled and noogied Conan.

"Well doesn't that sound better then? You get to beat up bad guys." Conan ducked his head from the noogie slightly but smiled in good humor.

"See? Didn't I tell you you'd make friends someday?"

"Mom!" Conan ran over to Jessica as she hobbled towards them, being supported on one side by Ryo. "Mom! You allright? I was so scared when I saw that guy hurt you!"

"I'm fine now, son," Jessica assured and hugged Conan warmly. "The nicest dinosaur I ever talked to put this weird plant leaf on my chest and it fixed me up good as new." Jessica patted the bandages covering her chest under her torn shirt.

"I'm really sorry you got hurt, Ms. Bauer. I wish things could've happened differently. We should've responded more quickly," Ryo apologized and bowed his head.

"You needn't worry any. I want to say my son's in good hands, but I'd rather say ya'all are in _his_ hands after the way he handled himself out there," Jessica smiled and patted Conan's cheek. "I'd always heard stories about ya'all, but never imagined how real it'd all be."

"Two down, eight more to go. We'll need to be more careful in locating the rest of the Neo Ronin," Cye stated and looked at Ryo, who nodded in agreement.

"And I see you already met Emma, your new leader," Kento said and smiled.

"_What_?" Conan blinked and stepped away from his mother to face Emma. "You mean _she's_ the leader?" he pointed at her and made a face, dismayed.

"Yup!" Emma nodded eagerly and clasped her hands behind her back. "It's not gonna cause any problems, is it? I mean…unless you mind taking orders from a giiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirl," Emma teased and leaned close to Conan, batting her eyelashes mischievously.

"No!" Conan squawked loudly and hunched his shoulders and idly adjusted his glasses.

"Oh wow…" "Hah, those cheeks…" "Look at him blush!" Ryo, Cye, and Kento guffawed merrily. Jessica smiled and Emma nudged closer to Conan and jabbed him in the side with an elbow. Conan averted his gaze before glancing back at her and cracking a slight smile.


	4. Halo

Halo

By Mardrena

"Mmmf! Nnnf!" Metal smacked against metal, and Conan's gaze moved back and forth between Emma throwing punches wildly and Anubis blocking each blow with one hand, keeping his other arm behind his back. Emma even tried punching simultaneously, but Anubis blocked both blows quickly. He then grabbed her wrist and twisted her arm behind her back painfully, hooking his foot under her left ankle and forcing her to one knee.

"OWOWOWOWOW!" Emma squawked in protest, but Anubis didn't ease his hold.

"Drunken brawler might come in handy during an _actual_ bar fight, but considering the two of you are underage, I highly doubt you'll be setting foot in an actual _bar_ anytime soon," Anubis chided before releasing Emma and stepping back. Conan placed both hands on the back of his head and waited idly while Emma staggered to her feet and moved beside him.

"Why do we even have to train like this anyway? Ryo said our special powers have no real limits," Emma argued as she rubbed her arm, grimacing as she flexed her fingers.

"Oh there are plenty of reasons," Anubis began and paced off to one side. "You may find yourselves in a situation where you are unable to use your powers; whether because an opponent can block them, or is resistant to them. Or you may find yourselves faced with an opponent that must be subdued with minimal force. It sounds easy enough to just blast away without abandon at your opponent, but when the dust settles, often times you're left with a rather large hole in the city. Initially, the Ronin Warriors had no choice _but_ to rely upon their ultimate powers to achieve victory. The nature of their battles back in the Dynasty Wars required no less.

"Now with all ten of us working in concert, we rely less upon our ultimate powers unless a dire need arises. We exhaust all other options first, and with more of us to share the burden, more of our battles are resolved without having to resort to using our full armors. It never hurts to be prepared, but it certainly will if you aren't. Now, you! Chubby boy!" Anubis snapped his fingers and pointed at Conan, who blinked and paused in cleaning his right ear with his little finger. "I wager you got a lot more muscle on you than you let on. Come at me then. _Try_ to strike me down!" Anubis challenged, slipping into the old Warlord vernacular.

Conan rubbed his finger against his chest then adjusted his thick glasses before stepping forward to meet Anubis. The Elder Ronin beckoned and Conan wound up to attack. His fist struck Anubis' palm, same as Emma's attacks, but Conan tried swinging from a lower angle. Anubis blocked deftly once more, and Conan pulled back to try again. His strikes looked more practiced, unlike Emma's haphazard style; something attributed to experience from bouts at school no doubt. Conan punched first with his right fist then with his left, and Anubis had to use both hands to block, but instead of withdrawing, Conan tried pushing forward.

Anubis remained steadfast, despite Conan's attempts to shove him off-balance. Conan narrowed his eyes and bared his teeth, scowling angrily. His arms shuddered from the effort, but he refused to back down. Anubis looked unimpressed, almost amused. He frowned when he sensed something and noticed how Conan's glare intensified. Anubis glanced down in disbelief when he felt his own arms shuddering and Emma watched in awe as unbelievably enough, Conan started forcing Anubis' arms back. Whereas Emma had attacked half-heartedly with no real focus, Conan seemed to be pouring every ounce of his being into toppling the Ronin Warrior.

Anubis moved his left leg back and braced himself. Conan let out a soft growl as he pushed forward, and Anubis had take another step back from the pressure. Emma's mouth spread in a pleased smile at the sight of seeing the much younger Neo Ronin forcing Anubis to lose ground. Anubis couldn't quite describe what he sensed coming from Conan, only that it emboldened the boy.

Conan yelped when Anubis turned sideways and stepped back, letting him fall forward flat on his face. His cheek pressed against the floor, pushing his glasses out of place. He tried to push himself up, but Anubis placed his heel on his back, pushing him back down. "I'm impressed! You actually forced me to budge!" Anubis chuckled while Conan groaned in protest. "Your form needs work, however." Anubis removed his foot and reached down, grabbing Conan by the arm and hauling him to his feet. "I want the two of you to go outside and practice on each other, and I don't want you to come back inside until you both have some bruises!" Anubis snapped before turning and walking away. Conan re-adjusted his glasses and exchanged glances with Emma.

"He _can't_ be serious, can he?" Emma asked warily. The two Neo Ronin looked over their shoulders when they saw someone walk up behind them.

"You can always hit each other with sticks," Kento joked and patted them on their shoulders before walking off, leaving the two Neo Ronin to stare at each other confusedly.

They headed outside through the exit tunnel and found a nice lush clearing near the estate in which to practice. "Sooo…how do we do this?" Emma asked and put her knuckles on her hips.

"Well…normally I'd try to punch you…but I can't hit a girl," Conan admitted.

"Anubis _said_ to practice on each other, so you're gonna have to."

"I know, but I just can't. I'm not like that."

"Hmm…I could call you fat if you want?"

"Yeah, but that's just stating the obvious, so it wouldn't really bother me that much," Conan shrugged and folded his arms over his chest. Emma tapped her index finger against her chin.

"Eh, I guess you're right. I'd be too fast for you to hit anyway."

"No you wouldn't."

"But you said so yourself you can't hit a girl, so if you can't you can't."

"Can too!" Conan bristled from the remark.

"Then come on! Give it your best shot!" Emma taunted. Conan puffed his chest slightly and rolled his shoulders, and Emma raised her arms tensing for combat. Conan jabbed with his left fist, and Emma leaned to the side abruptly, dodging nimbly. Conan swung with his right, and Emma spiraled out of the way, almost dancing backwards. Conan blinked, bewildered.

"Hey, what gives? How you doing that?" he demanded.

"I picked up some things watching Ryo practice. Our armors let us move a lot faster than normal, of course since you're heavier than me, you still move pretty slow."

"Wanna bet?" Conan lunged, more comfortable with punching seeing as they both wore armor. Emma giggled as she side-stepped each swing and dodged each jab. Conan paused to catch his breath and noticed how Emma relied more on keeping her legs moving. She grinned as she bounced up and down on her toes slightly. Conan glanced at the ground beneath her then up at Emma. His mouth spread in a big grin and he raised both arms.

Emma realized too late how he spread his arms rather than clench his fists. "EARTH ENGULF!" Conan swung his arms close and Emma yelped as the ground beneath her dropped away and she dropped inside up to her shoulders. The earth closed in around her, and Conan lowered his arms, stopping the ground from injuring Emma. She squirmed and growled, but the earth kept most of her body buried and her arms pinned squarely at her sides. Conan crouched down infront of her, grinning. Emma blew air up through her bangs, seething.

"No faiiir! You're not supposed to use powers!" Emma protested. Conan reached out with his right arm and pointed down with his index finger. "Don't you even-!" Emma growled in warning. Conan lowered his finger, stopping just short of Emma's hair.

"I'm not touching you…" he teased, raising his arm then lowering it again.

"Quit iiiit!" Emma protested as Conan's fingertip touched a single strand of hair.

"I'm noooot toooouchiiing yooouuu," Conan grinned and continued torturing Emma while she writhed and protested to no avail. "I'm not touching you!" he giggled merrily.

"That's _no_ way to _treat_ a lady…" Conan gasped in terror when he heard the familiar voice and looked over his shoulder quickly.

* * *

"Shannon, I'm not sure now's a good time to be out and about in the city. Even though Mal Daggur's gone, there's still the Dynasty-" Sage argued as Shannon pulled him along by his wrist.

"Sage Date, when was the last time you took me on an actual _date_?" Shannon asked. Sage averted his gaze and opened his mouth to speak but hesitated. "If it's before aliens invaded, it's been too long. Besides, I think you'll like it here," Shannon reasoned as she led Sage through the art gallery hosting works by students from one of the nearby schools. She finally released Sage from her vice-like grip and paced along a wall to examine some drawings.

Sage resigned himself to being at her mercy and tried to appreciate the artwork. At least if anything _did_ happen he could call for help with his wrist-com. He frowned and looked down at the arm Shannon had been holding only to find she'd slipped his wrist-com off his arm and pocketed it. He sighed and followed Shannon as she browsed.

"Hey…these…look like they're part of a series…but wait…" Shannon muttered as she approached one colored pencil drawing of a majestic waterfall bordered by forest on either side with a pool of water extending from the base. Shannon leaned to the side and peered at the adjacent five drawings. "It's…of the same area, but different angles. Wow…Sage, check out the detailing! Whoever did these has real talent," Shannon remarked as she paced along the wall.

"It's my style. I call it 'Journeying'." The two looked behind them and saw a young boy-roughly twelve years old-standing beside a table featuring other framed drawings. "I try to create the illusion of travelling through the area itself. Some people say it's easier to take pictures, but using an artistic medium kind of infuses the image with life on its own." The boy had curly, almost frizzy dark brown hair and dark green eyes. "My grandmother takes me with her through the countryside every summer and winter. It's when I can do my best works."

"Wow, these are gorgeous. What would the name of the artist be?" Shannon inquired.

"Edward Connolly, Ma'am. Most kids call me Brainpan cuz I'm honors, but please don't call me 'Eddie'. It sounds too…blaugh," Edward made an exaggerated shudder.

"That's fine. My boyfriend here is a real stickler for manners," Shannon nodded at Sage.

"Boyfriend?" Edward blinked and looked back and forth between Sage and Shannon.

"Ehh, she did it more as a gag," Sage grimaced and shrugged.

"You know what they say about flattery," Shannon tilted her chin up and brushed her long blonde hair over her shoulder with a flair. Sage chuckled and shook his head and walked further down the hall to examine other displays in the gallery, leaving Shannon to gush and fawn over the boy's talent. He frowned when he thought he heard something and looked around, trying to find its source. The hum seemed to come from his coat pocket and he reached down and gently pulled it open. Inside, the yo-yo belonging to Neo Halo pulsed brightly.

Thankfully the hum and bustle of the gallery drowned out the sound. Sage looked from side to side then back at the yo-yo. He took a step towards Shannon, intending to talk to her, when the hum ceased abruptly. Sage blinked and took a step back again, and it hummed and glowed once more. He remembered how Ryo commented how the Neo Wildfire yo-yo reacted most when away from Emma, as if the yo-yos sensed their owners' proximity and became alarmed when at a distance. The glow only subsided when Sage approached Edward.

Shannon finished chatting with Edward and walked over to Sage. "He is _so_ nice! He's from America too, from the Washington area. Kids must really like the schools over here…"

"He also happens to be a Neo Ronin, if I'm reading this right," Sage whispered.

"A who now?" Shannon raised an eyebrow. Sage glanced from side to side briefly.

"A few days ago, after our fight with the Dynasty, we discovered there's a set of armors apparently intended to be wielded by children. We're not entirely sure where they came from or who made them, but so far we've found two bearers and they've proven quite capable against the Dynasty's flunkies. We've taken to calling them Neo Ronin."

"So they gonna take over for you all when you buy the farm in that futuristic Ragnarok the Thangiens keep talking about?"

"Not sure. Their armors are much different, and they lack spiritual attributes. The Dynasty's attacked both Emma and Conan so far. I need to give this to him before he's next."

"You try to tell him that now he'll think you're nuts," Shannon glanced over her shoulder.

"Maybe we can find his address and talk to him outside school…" Sage mused.

"You ask him for _that_ and he'll think you're even _more_ nuts. How about you let _me_ handle this…" Shannon assured and walked back over to Edward while Sage observed from a distance. "Hey there, listen: I've been debating what to get my dad for a present. He works at Shinasha Memorial Hospital, and his office could use something to spruce up the walls besides the usual awards and whatnot. How much to buy one of your series?" Shannon asked.

"B-B-Buy?" Edward stammered wide-eyed, startled by the request. "Um…well, I-uh-I" While the two bargained, Sage glanced around idly. His breath caught in his throat when he recognized a familiar form standing further down the hall.

She looked innocent enough with her schoolgirl's uniform and her hair hanging down past her knees, all brushed and shiny. Her eyes glittered with malevolent mischief and she smiled. Sage tensed and raised his wrist, intending to alert the others, only to remember Shannon had his wrist-com. Kylyra seemed more interested in the young artist Shannon spoke to. Sage growled softly, but he couldn't summon armor in public, much less use it effectively against Kylyra.

"Your dad…he isn't Dr. Charles O'Connor, is he?" Edward asked and looked up from the piece of paper Shannon had written her contact information on.

"The one and the same," Shannon nodded proudly.

"Cool! Um-I mean, that's amazing! My grandmother visited Shinasha Memorial a few weeks ago, and the doctor was really nice to her. I'm actually going up into the mountains to work on a new series this weekend. If you'd like, you can have that one. No charge. Here, take one of these," Edward reached into his uniform pocket and pulled out a small embossed card. "Dad makes these for me for school events. He says it's never too early to build a reputation."

"Well aren't you just the little professional!" Shannon graciously accepted the business card and inserted it into her wallet. "I look forward to seeing your finished work. Goodbye," she nodded and walked over to Sage. "He certainly is polite like a Halo."

"The Dynasty. They know about him," Sage hissed out the corner of his mouth.

"What?" Shannon scowled and leaned to the side to see what had Sage so alarmed. She hadn't seen Kylyra before, but those glittering black pupils proudly displayed her wickedness. Shannon narrowed her eyes and raised her right hand. She pointed her index and middle fingers at her eyes then turned her wrist and pointed them at Kylyra. She repeated the gesture a few more times. Kylyra didn't seem the least bit daunted and merely sniffed. A gallery patron passed infront of her, and when he stepped away, she had vanished. Shannon and Sage remained standing there while people milled about through the gallery totally unawares.

* * *

"I'm home Grandma!" Edward entered the den where his grandmother sat on the sofa crocheting. She looked up and set her work down on her lap.

"Edward! How did your day go?" Her hair looked as curly and frizzy as Edward's except silver with age. Wire-framed glasses rest on her face and her wrinkled cheeks rose in a smile.

"Fantastic. I got my first customer here, and you'll never believe who it is: Dr. O'Connor's daughter! She wanted to buy one of my series for her dad."

"Really? That's wonderful! He's such a nice man, I'm sure he'll enjoy it."

"I was gonna wait until the weekend, but I think I'm gonna head out today and do some rough sketching to get the right feel. I'll be home before sundown to finish homework."

"I'll tell your Dad when he gets home from work. I'm so glad we moved here. This country has some of the loveliest cities and landscapes," she sighed and wiggled her shoulders before resuming her work. Edward jogged upstairs to his room and dropped off his backpack. He knelt down beside his bed and reached under the dust skirt and pulled out a vintage cigar box.

The lining along the edges had frayed off from much use and several layers of tape reinforced the hinge. Edward flipped it open and inspected the contents; a large collection of colored pencils of every tint and hue. He rifled through checking their condition then after replacing a few stubs with fresh pencils, shut the box and tied a length of string around it to seal it shut.

He reached under the dust skirt once more and pulled out a large tablet of drawing paper. He turned around and reached for his backpack, unzipping it and emptying of its various books and binders one by one setting them atop his bed then carefully placing the cigar box inside. He shucked his uniform coat and shirt and donned a more casual T-shirt. He stood up and walked over to the window. He pushed up the pane and peered outside, flinching when a sudden gust of wind sent the curtains billowing and one of the corners brushed his cheek.

He knew just the place he had in mind.

* * *

"Sage of Halo and the Guardian made obvious efforts to enter the good graces of the boy. Clearly he is a potential candidate for these new armors," Kylyra explained.

"Very good, Kylyra. Seeing as how that fool Bautan is still recovering from his 'injuries'," Talpa sneered. "This duty falls to you. Use whatever wiles at your disposal to convince the boy, but if his soul proves too deeply corrupted with 'righteousness', _kill_ him. Such defiance may shield my opponents from my power, but not from your blade," Talpa stated.

"Understood, Master Talpa," Kylyra smiled and curtsied. "While typically I would handle such a simple mission alone, continued interference from the Ronin Warriors requires greater force. I would ask that a group of Doom Lords accompany me."

"Granted. I shall have one of Bautan's Kagemousha accompany you as well, along with a Kyuuban to weaken any Ronin Warrior. If anything, they are worthy distractions."

"Of course. They are but shadows of your greater glory…and my skill," Kylyra smirked.

* * *

Edward Connolly-known as Brainpan by some-made his way up a well trodden trail. His tablet poked out of the main flap of his backpack. Pencils and erasers rest snugly inside the netting on one side. He glanced from side to side, checking for landmarks he'd established in memory. He came to a stop when he arrived at his chosen spot; the spectacular view of a snow-capped mountain framed on both sides by trees standing on the edge of the cliff running alongside the trail. He searched about for a suitable seat and-after briefly inspecting the surface for ants and bugs-sat down and set his backpack on the ground near his ankles.

He pulled out his tablet and the vintage cigar box and unwound the string holding it shut. He brushed the tablet open and began sketching a faint outline with a soft lead pencil, setting down the placement of the mountain and the trees. After several minutes of careful work, he felt satisfied enough with the outline and plucked the first colored pencil from the cigar box. He began working at the upper right-hand corner, preferring to move diagonally from the upper right to the lower left. He glanced back and forth from the paper to the mountain, pausing often to double check proper placement and coloring. His pace slowed as memories came to mind.

"_You have such a deep love for nature. I can feel it in these old bones; you're meant for great things!"_ Edward smiled, fondly remembering his grandmother's praises.

"_Here Dad. Give this to Mommy. It'll make her feel better,_" he remembered his younger self talking to a man seated on a recliner with his face buried in his hands. The man had gently taken the drawing of tall trees overlooking a lake. Edward hadn't understood what had caused his father to break down sobbing uncontrollably until the following week. He remembered standing before a large smooth slab of granite, being too young to understand the significance of the chiseled numbers. He recognized his drawing though; immortalized in an intricate mosaic. He learned the truth much later, since the grief weighed more heavily on his father.

Edward paused and sat there mulling over the past. His father said his mother lived and worked passionately. Edward glanced back at the mountain and threw his energy into drawing. He had passion too! He remained entirely focused on his work, not so much as throwing a glance at the altercation over a nut between a squirrel and a bird on a branch overhead.

_"…he-elp…meee…"_ Edward frowned and looked over his shoulder when he thought he heard a faint voice. He glanced from side to side, frowning in uncertainty.

"uh…hello? Is someone there?" he didn't hear anything other than ambient noise.

"…_heeelp…m-me…"_ Edward promptly set down his pad and sealed his pencil box then reached for his backpack and pulled out a small bottle of water from the front pouch.

"Did you hurt yourself? Where are you?" Edward stood up and looked around the immediate area. "Hello? Hello?" he walked a few steps away from his things.

_"…here…help…me_…" Edward got a fix on the sound and jogged towards the source.

"Did you sprain your ankle or fall down? I don't live that far off. If you want, I can help you to my place and we can call an ambulance," Edward ducked and wove his way around pesky branches trying to snag his shirt or hair, minding his own footing lest he injure himself.

_"Help me…over…here…"_

"I think I see you! I'm on my way!" Edward clambered down into a shallow ravine towards a person wearing a ragged-looking green hoodie. The person lay sprawled amid mats of roots and leaves. One sandaled foot stuck into a mess of thin roots. "You okay? Did you break anything?"

"No…but I will break _you_ if you do not comply!" The person jumped up nimbly and turned to face Edward. "I have you now, boy!" Glowing red eyes stared out from a pitch-black face.

"Wha!? Aaah!" Edward staggered back a step, falling onto his rear on the side of the ravine and pulling himself up shakily. The lithe figure crouched on all fours and cocked its head up at Edward. The red eyes narrowed mischeviously. "W-What are you?" Edward stammered.

"A Kagemousha," a feminine voice spoke from behind Edward. He looked up and over his shoulder at a little ten-year-old girl standing on the lip of the ravine. "One of the lesser servants of the Dynasty. And _I_ am Kylyra; right hand to Emperor Talpa, ruler of the Dynasty. I present you with an offer, boy; to join us in subjugating this Mortal Realm."

"I-I don't-I mean…" Edward glanced from the girl to the "Kagemousha", not sure what to make of any of it all. The girl Kylyra raised a hand and snapped her fingers. Edward had to fight to keep from wetting himself when bolts of lightning struck the ground around them. Towering armor-clad figures wielding scary-looking guns glowered down at him. "The Master knows potential when he sees it. He would rather not waste such gifts. There is no choice here boy. The Master calls you obey," Kylyra stated with a smirk.

"Talpa's calls fall on deaf ears, Kylyra!" Her gaze snapped to the right when a voice rang out through the forest. Edward looked in the direction and blinked in surprise when he saw what-at first glance-looked like a huge lizard standing on its back legs. The head tilted up and Edward saw the face of a man under the visor of a helmet designed to look like the head of an iguana. Edward's surprise deepened when he recognized the face of Shannon O'Connor's boyfriend.

"Sage of Halo, you think yourself clever by using that _inferior_ armor? Have you forgotten how vulnerable you are against these?" Kylyra held up a pouch and peeled down the lining to reveal a quivering blob with stubby legs. "Feed, my pet!" she crowed and hurled the creature at Sage. Sage tensed and uncoiled his whip, intending to swat the kyuuban from the air.

Without warning, his armor glowed and disappeared, peeling away in a surge of green light and coalescing into a four-legged form with a long tail. Iguadalupen tensed and launched himself into the air, letting the Kyuuban strike him in the back between the shoulders. He let out a gurgling cry and convulsed before dropping onto the forest floor. The Kyuuban vanished after sating its hunger with the Incarnation's energy. Iguadalupen remained on his belly, looking dizzy.

"That was rather foolish of your companion. What good are you now without _any_ armor?"

"You forget, Kylyra," Sage clenched his fists and jerked his arms slightly. The energy blades of his clawnchers extended fully and he crouched then lunged for the nearest Destroyer Droid. The Destroyer fired a blast in his direction but ended up hitting a tree instead. Sage ducked down between the thick legs and slashed at both knees before rolling past and springing back up behind the Destroyer. He slashed again at the arms, and the Destroyer flailed its remaining limb stubs as it toppled off its severed legs and landed face-down on the forest floor. "We are more than just our armor!" Sage bellowed and charged towards Kylyra's minions.

Edward sat there bewildered as Sage moved with uncanny speed, attacking the Kagemousha and forcing it to retreat. Kylyra slashed with her long thin blades, but Sage managed to parry and bring his leg up to kick her in the stomach. She leapt out of the way before the blow connected, however, and landed behind two Destroyers. "Ignore Halo; we cannot let the boy escape!" The other Destroyers opened fire, and it took all of Sage's skill to use his clawnchers to deflect shots.

"Edward! Listen to me!" Sage shouted. "You are the Neo Ronin of Halo. Take this and arm yourself!" Sage paused for a split second to toss something at Edward, who caught it in shaking hands. "Use it as you would normally. The power will come to you and strengthen you!" Edward stared uncertainly at the armored man. "Trust me, the Dynasty want nothing more than to lay waste to this world. Take up arms and fight!" Sage howled and lunged forward closing the distance with the Destroyers. He leapt up out of the way of one shot meant for him and landed on the bulky shoulders. He plunged both energy blades into the neck and sprang away before the other Destroyer fired, aiming for him but blowing off its compatriot's head instead.

"Your defiance has sealed your fate, Sage of Halo. Destroy him!" Kylyra barked and lunged at the older warrior. Edward scrambled towards a nearby tree and ducked down behind it. He looked down at the object Sage had thrown at him; a green-colored yo-yo with a black and gold symbol of a lightning bolt on the top and bottom. He looked back up at Sage and observed how he fought, displaying practiced skill and innate grace. Sizzling energy shots passed within inches of his exposed face as he ducked and dodged. Despite them towering above him, he turned that to his advantage by diving between their legs and catching them unawares.

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall!" Sage shouted.

"The same could apply to you, Ronin Warrior!" Kylyra taunted and leapt into the fray. While Sage managed to hold his own quite well at first, Edward started to notice strain as the incoming attacks became more frequent and frantic. Each shot Sage dodged flew whistling into the forest, splintering tree trunks and incinerating bushes. Dirt and clumps of leaves flew up from impacts in the ground, leaving behind smoking craters. The Kagemousha returned to the battle and Sage found himself fending off Kylyra with one arm and the Kagemousha with the other, all the while having to watch incoming fire from the Destroyers. Birds took to the sky in waves from the tumult, and Edward's gaze snapped to the side when he saw something fall to the ground.

He saw an intricate nest and inside the glistening yolk of a bird's egg sloshed around in the remains of the shell. Something snapped within Edward and he looked again at the battle; Sage, who wore no armor and used minimal weapons to defend himself against Kylyra and her minions who attacked without abandon with powerful destructive weapons. "Stop it…" Edward narrowed his eyes. His fingers started twitching and his middle finger found its way through the loop of string. "Stop it now…" Edward growled and tightened his grip on the yo-yo. "STOP IT NOOOWWW!" Edward yelled at the top of his lungs. The combatants paused, startled. "I've _had_ it! That's _enough_! Stop hurting the forest!" he shouted.

Kylyra took advantage of Sage's surprise to lash him in the jaw with one of her sword whips. The Ronin Warrior fell onto his side with a grunt. "Fury burns strong in your heart, boy. Are you ready to surrender yourself to the Dynasty and serve the Master?"

"No! And I don't ever plan to! I won't let you so much as harm another _twig_! You hear me?! Sage said to use this, so I'm gonna!" Edward lashed his arm to the side and unfurled the yo-yo. The Kagemousha flinched from the blinding green light that enveloped Edward, and Kylyra raised her arm to shield her face. The Destroyers tried to take aim and shoot, but something caused snowy-white static to cloud their vision. The light subsided, revealing Edward Connolly clad in black armor with bold green plates on his forearms, chest, waist, and shins.

"Kill him NOW!" Kylyra ordered. The Kagemousha sprang towards Edward while the Destroyer Droids had yet to regain focus. Edward splayed his fingers then curled them as if wrapping them around a handle. Energy crackled around his fist and wove through his fingers before forming the shape of a hammer. The Kagemousha descended with sword drawn to stab Edward in the face. Edward pulled his arm back and swung up mightily.

"THUNDER ANVIL!" The crackling hammer struck the Kagemousha square in the face. It screamed and gibbered with agony as energy coursed through its body. Parts of its black skin seemed to burst and peel away, crumbling into particles of sand. The unearthly shriek of pain echoed through the forest before the shadowy being exploded with a pop. Black sand drifted towards the ground, along with scraps of the green cloth armor.

The Destroyers finally regained focus and looked up to take aim, but Edward clenched his fist again, creating another energy hammer. "THUNDER ANVIL!" He hurled it at the front-most Destroyer, striking it in the chest. The hammer exploded in a burst of energy, spreading out over the Destroyer's body and arcing out onto nearby Destroyers. Kylyra watched in disbelief as the towering Destroyers jerked and writhed as if in pain. Suddenly they went limp and slouched forward slightly. Steam hissed up from joints and eyes.

"What trickery is this!?" Kylyra cried in disbelief as her mighty Doom Lords stood still.

"It's not a trick. It's called an EMP: electromagnetic pulse. I somehow used this power to create one and fried whatever electronics your goons use," Edward explained proudly and smirked. "You might wanna take that up with your manufacturer."

"Boy…You do not fully grasp the extent of the Master's ire by refusing his summons. The Master can give you anything you desire! Power and immortality!" Kylyra bargained desperately.

"Will you just shut _UP_ about that already?! I don't care what your master wants. I don't want to join his _stupid_ army, and you can _tell_ him I _said so_! THUNDER ANVIL!" Edward wound up for another attack, but instead of throwing it, he charged towards Kylyra. Kylyra stood there, wide-eyed in shock that the boy who had previously cowered from her earlier appearance now lunged at her with swift fury. She crouched and sprang up out of the way, but Edward crouched and leapt, following her. Kylyra's jaw dropped in shock when he rose to meet her and struck her directly in the face. The air burst with electricity before calming.

Kylyra dropped to the forest floor on her back, while Edward landed several feet away. Kylyra rolled onto her side slowly and shakily rose to her feet. Edward summoned another energy hammer and tensed. Something fell from Kylyra's face; it looked like the broken half of the face of a porcelain doll. The lips looked emotionless and the eyes empty.

"Normally I'd feel _really_ guilty about hitting a girl…" Edward began as Kylyra turned to face him with one hand clamped over the right side of her face. He could see shimmering black stone under her fingers. "But you're technically not a real girl, are you?" Cracks spread out through the rest of Kylyra's face. She stared at him with her good eye, seething with rage. More chips of her skin fell away, and she vanished in a swirl of violet petals. Edward relaxed his grip and the energy hammer dissipated. He let his arms hang at his sides and took deep breaths.

"Wow! Color me impressed!" Edward jumped and looked over his shoulder when he heard Sage speak up from behind him. The Ronin Warrior dusted himself off and plucked leaves from his hair. "I have to be honest; I didn't think you had it in you," Sage admitted.

"What makes you say that?" Edward wrinkled his nose, slightly offended.

"I didn't think anyone so dedicated to the arts could have the heart to fight, but I forget myself what deeds a common man can be stirred to perform in times of great need."

"I…I just couldn't stand watching them destroy everything just to get to you…to _me_…" Edward looked at the ground then at the ruined birds nest. "…Back in our old home, before…before... I used to go out to the woods every day to draw. Some of my best pieces came from back then. Everything looked so _beautiful_…" Edward clenched his fists and set his face in a snarl. "Then some _faceless_ corporation comes along and plows it all over for no good reason! People just don't understand how fleeting that kind of beauty can be…"

"No, you're wrong," Sage shook his head and stepped towards the boy, placing a hand on his shoulder. Edward looked up at him, confused. "_We_ are the ones who are fleeting. Humans live such short, fragile lives; we strive to do whatever we can to leave our mark on this world, no matter the cost. All the time mankind has lived is but a drop in the sea of time. Nothing we can do can ever cause lasting harm to this beautiful Earth." Sage craned his head back and looked up at the sky as birds returned to the nearby trees. "This world will outlast us…

"But the Dynasty, they _can_ do harm, _serious_ harm." Sage looked down at Edward. "They will stop at nothing to consume everything green and good in this world to feed their hunger for power. We are the Ronin Warriors. You might've heard of us from the Toyama Disturbance. Our duty is to safeguard this world from the forces of evil. Will you answer the call and take up this duty; to protect this beautiful Earth?" Sage asked. Edward smiled and nodded firmly. "Good…besides, nature's not as vulnerable as you might think.

Edward blinked when Sage leaned down to whisper in his ear. "You know, they've been waging a hidden war against us for millennia. Their secret weapon is pollen, but thankfully the pharmaceuticals companies stay one step ahead with new allergy medications…" Edward burst out laughing at the notion of scheming flower nobles and towering tree generals. Sage laughed too and gave him a hearty pat. Edward composed himself and took deep breaths.

"Hey, I've heard there are ten of you guys. Does that mean there are more kids like me?"

"Yes, but so far we've only found two others: Emma and Conan. I imagine they're hard at work training back at the estate…"

* * *

"This is abuse!" Conan protested as he tried to wriggle out of the dirt packed tightly around his beefy shoulders. Beside him, Emma remained likewise entombed up to her shoulders in dirt.

"Why couldn't you dig me out first!?" Emma demanded.

"Think of this as a form of survival training. Try to use your wits to extricate yourself," Anubis calmly stated from where he lounged on the ground with his back against a tree trunk. A book rest in his lap and he paused between turning pages to take a bite out of a large red apple.

"Whatever happened to chivalry!?"

"Oh, that died long before _I_ was born, my dear."

"How can you call _this_ training?!" Conan squawked as he squirmed.

"Well I'm not still referred to as the Warrior of Cruelty because of my pleasant bedside manner," Anubis replied and rolled his eyes. The three of them fell silent when they heard a faint rumble of thunder overhead and saw moisture-thick clouds rolling through the sky. "Hrm…that's no good…" Anubis shut his book and set it down on the ground then set the partially-eaten apple on top. He leaned to the side and retrieved something from under a bush then leaned back against the tree trunk and braced a large picnic umbrella against his shoulder, wedging the handle in the ground between his right elbow and hip. He leaned to the side and unfurled it.

"OH COME ON!?" "NO FAAAIIIIR!" "I'M TELLING MY MOM!" "MY DAD TOO!" Emma and Conan threatened and wriggled furiously as fat droplets of rain began splattering down atop their heads. Anubis resumed his place in his book and took another bite of the apple.


End file.
